It became pretty clear in round 1 that the NHL were serious about cutting down on diving and embellishment when it issued warnings to the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens. But now, in the series between the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, it looks like playacting is once again taking center stage. It all went down in game, when the Oilers stamped their authority on the series with a 3-0 win at Rogers Place in game 4, giving them a 3-1 series lead. No complaints there right? Well, almost if weren’t for some rather egregious embellishment courtesy of the Golden Knights. There were quite a few penalties in the game, too, but there was this one move on the ice that the referees totally missed, and an NHL columnist brought it up.

Mark Spector shared on X: “Every referee left in the NHL playoffs would have had this clip on his laptop this a.m. Will be interesting to see how it plays out, if at all.” Spector brought up an incident with Vegas goaltender Adin Hill, suggesting he was being a bit dramatic on the ice.

After what seemed like an over-the-top response to some contact, Hill caught a lot of eyes—and some backlash—for what many, including Spector, saw as a clear effort to get a penalty by flopping. Hill’s actions seemed a bit surprising for someone who is usually so composed and disciplined as a goaltender.

It’s pretty obvious: if Hill’s reaction was really over the top, the NHL might have to do something about it, like handing out warnings, fines, or keeping a closer eye on similar situations in the future. Is this really how the Golden Knights’ goalie usually plays on the ice?

Quite unexpected from the Vegas Golden Knights goalie

Adin Hill isn’t really the type to exaggerate contact or commit flopping in the NHL. During his time with teams such as the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, and now the Vegas Golden Knights, Hill has earned a reputation for being calm and showcasing impressive goaltending skills. His performances, particularly during the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run, really showed how reliable and composed he is when the pressure’s on.

Remember when Shea Theodore from the Vegas Golden Knights talked about the goalie and said, “I mean, it’s unreal. It’s kind of per usual now at this point, him making those saves and kind of bailing us out. He’s had our back the second he stepped in, and we’ve been fortunate to help him on the other end.”

There have been a few isolated incidents, like that controversial moment with Matthew Tkachuk during the 2023 Stanley Cup Final when Hill got into a physical altercation, but these don’t really show a pattern of behavior. In playoff hockey, those moments definitely get a lot of attention, but they don’t really define a player’s reputation.