Crowd noise leads to clock error in Bruins-Caps

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) The NHL says the loud crowd in the Capitals' arena contributed to a miscommunication leading to an extra 5.3 seconds being played in Washington's 2-1 victory over Boston.

The league says Thursday night it "immediately was aware" of the problem "and, therefore, would have disallowed a goal scored with 5.3 seconds or less showing on the clock."

With 9.5 seconds left on the clock in the third period, the game-clock operator realized 0.9 seconds should have been added. But off-ice officials couldn't get the attention of on-ice officials to delay dropping the puck for a faceoff "despite sounding the horn, which was not audible due to crowd noise."

So the clock wasn't re-started until 5.3 seconds after the faceoff.

Updated April 20, 2012