Last night, Game 3 of the Atlantic Division semifinals between two rivals was hockey at its best in the AHL.

The game was fast. It was physical. The referees allowed play from both teams to reach its peak at key moments during the contest.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton came away with a hard-fought, well-earned victory after sending the game to overtime in dramatic fashion. All the talk should have been about what happened on the ice.

Instead, I woke up this morning to text messages about fan behavior and the confusion at the end of the game.

First and foremost, the Hershey fans who threw trash and other objects onto the ice displayed unacceptable, childish behavior. There is no other way to describe it. I watched multiple Hershey fans get hit from behind by objects without warning because someone was so immature they probably needed a diaper change before getting in the car. If Hershey can identify those responsible, it would not be wrong to revoke their tickets, as we’ve seen other organizations do across the country.

I haven’t spoken with Hershey management, but I do know they are first-class people, and I’m sure there is a level of embarrassment stemming from last night’s fan behavior.

Moving on to the League’s role: after last night, I’ve seen people on social media refer to it as the “Amateur Hockey League.” I’ve joked about it myself, but I do believe the League does a fantastic job overall.

The League has a great replay system. If they felt it needed to be used, they would have used it.

That said, I do believe the goal should have been reviewed last night to confirm it and eliminate any confusion. That confusion grew after a replay was shown that created an optical illusion suggesting the puck didn’t go in. Hershey’s in-arena staff did their job by showing a replay. The League should have done theirs by reviewing the goal, making a clear signal, and explaining that the overhead angle confirmed it.

Nobody is perfect—I certainly am not—but that’s something for the League to consider. They have great people in their communications department who are likely already advising on better approaches.

Last night, it seemed some players were confused. I know I was, standing in the tunnel. As the confusion continued, the temperature in the stands kept rising.

As the officials stood in front of the penalty box, it looked like they briefly opened the door, had a quick conversation—probably with off-ice officials—and then left the ice. As they exited, more objects rained down. Thankfully, none came too close from what I saw. The voices in the tunnel were not kind.

I understand AHL referees are not mic’d up, but I think that’s something worth considering. If they had been able to announce that the goal was confirmed by overhead view, the tension in the building likely would have dropped.

Secondly, the League needs to find a way to make the overhead goal camera accessible for in-arena use so that replay can be shown. It’s a great angle that removes all doubt on goals. Fans are paying to watch the second-best hockey league in the world—they deserve a great experience. Officials also deserve to be supported with video evidence when they are correct, and held accountable when they are not.

Finally, I was told in the press box by another media member that the League has a rule against making the overhead goal cam public. I think that needs to change. However, the League then broke that rule by tweeting a video clearly showing the puck hitting the back bar. The tweet’s only caption was “BTW.”

I can’t be the only one who finds that caption childish and unprofessional.

The League needs to be better because the fans, the players, and the officials all deserve better. Last night was a great hockey game featuring a 2–0 comeback, an extra-attacker goal, and an overtime winner between two rivals—and it ended with trash on the ice because of an optical illusion.

Maybe that’s the lesson from last night: everyone can be a little better.