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The NHL's video replay war room needs to have more authority to take the whistle out of the hands of referees, Hockey Night in Canada analyst Mike Milbury said on Saturday's Hotstove segment.

Steve Ott's controversial shootout winner in Dallas's 3-2 victory over Detroit Saturday afternoon, highlighted the flaws in the current system, the Hotstove panel of Milbury, Pierre LeBrun and Glenn Healy agreed.

Ott stuffed a backhand under the pad of goalie Jimmy Howard, but the Detroit netminder appeared to pull the puck off the goal line.

Referee Rob Martell, who was positioned right behind the net, immediately waved off the goal. But the other referee at centre ice, Mike Leggo, along with one of the linesmen, called it a goal. Ott's controversial winner was allowed to stand.

Video replay officials in Toronto's war room keep tabs on every game of the regular season and playoffs, but they are only allowed to overrule calls made by the on-ice officials if there is conclusive evidence.

It's something the NHL needs to change, Milbury said.

Even if there were no replay that clearly showed the puck staying out of the Detroit's net, video officials should have been allowed to make a judgment call, he said.

"Sometimes common sense should dictate the call," Milbury said. "They should drop that conclusive stuff."

Healy said there was enough evidence to see that it wasn't a goal, and the officials (both on-ice and in the replay booth) simply blew the call.

"I think [the video replay officials in] Toronto should have been able to conclusively say the puck didn't cross the line," he said. "It's clear from what I see that it didn't go in. [The call] shouldn't be made by a referee 50 feet away who was trying to guess the call."

It's an issue that Detroit general manager Ken Holland may bring up at the GM meetings to be held in March, LeBrun said.

"[Red Wings coach] Mike Babcock and Ken Holland are beside themselves that this goal today was allowed to stand. They're irate because the closest ref said 'no goal.' But the back ref, who's 50 feet away, calls it a goal, and so does a linesman."

With the Red Wings currently fighting for a playoff spot, they are particularly bitter about missing out on the two points, LeBrun said.