The Columbus Blue Jackets are again at the center of controversy, but this time it has nothing to do with an upset fan base.

In Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, with the score tied, 2-2, Blue Jackets center Samuel Påhlsson was sent to the penalty box for holding at 18:54 of the third period.

As the game clock wound down it appeared the game would head into overtime.

But with less than a second left, Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty put a rebound past Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis Sanford just as time expired.

The officiating crew reviewed the goal to confirm that it had been scored before time expired.

The ruling on the ice that the play had resulted in a goal stood, and Doughty was credited with a game-winning power-play goal at 19:59 of the third period.

The controversy did not arise until after the game when the Blue Jackets reviewed the goal for themselves.

Members of the Blue Jackets staff noticed a malfunction with the game clock.

According to the Blue Jackets, with 1.8 seconds left, the game clock appeared to freeze for a full second.

Representatives from the Blue Jackets said they felt time should have expired before Doughty scored and the game should have gone in to overtime.

Blue Jackets spokesman Todd Sharrock said the organization is “disappointed with what happened.”

Sharrock said the Blue Jackets have brought the matter to the attention of National Hockey League officials.

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson opined on the matter via his blog on the team’s website.

“The official results of the NHL games played last night show that the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in regulation time in Los Angeles,” Howson said in his post. “However, this was an unjust result. In reality, this game should have gone to overtime, and we will never know what the true result of the game should have been.”

The NHL acknowledged that they are looking in to the incident.

“The league has begun a thorough review in to the matter,” said John Dellapina, NHL spokesman.

Members of the Los Angeles Kings organization did not immediately respond to The Lantern’s request for comment.

The loss is the Blue Jackets’ sixth in a row, and leaves the team with 32 points through 51 games.

The Blue Jackets currently reside in last place in the NHL, and fifth place in the Central Division of the Western Conference.

This incident is just one of many storylines in the past week for the organization.

On Jan.28, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced in his annual All-Star address that the Blue Jackets organization was chosen as the host for the 2013 NHL All-Star Celebration.

Later that day, fans gathered outside of Nationwide Arena to protest Blue Jackets’ management.

Multiple reports have confirmed that Blue Jackets’ center Jeff Carter, acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers during the offseason, is on the trading block among rumors of his unhappiness with the organization.