NHL says crowd noise led to miscommunication, extra 5.3 seconds at end of Bruins-Capitals

Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Semin, right, celebrates his goal with left wing Alex Ovechkin during the second period of Game 4 in a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey series against the Boston Bruins on Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Washington. The Capitals defeated the Bruins 2-1. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON - 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.