Chest Tube - water seal question

We got orders from a surgeon to have transition the chest tube from -20 suction to water seal on a patient post lobectomy. The nurse just turned the suction head off (didn’t disconnect the tubing from the atrium).

Patient now has crepitus and the surgeon is saying that’s because the nurse left the tubing on the atrium and the air had no way to escape?

Is this a thing? That the tubing HAS to be disconnected from the atrium if it’s not on suction?