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Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour Rips Refs After Loss to Bruins over Failed Challenge
May 8, 2022
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour thought one of the Boston Bruins' five goals should've been wiped from the record in Sunday's Stanley Cup playoff defeat.
Jake DeBrusk's tally in the second period was upheld following a challenge for possible goalie interference.
B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceIn this edition of "Goaltender Interference", this one COUNTS! <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLBruins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHLBruins</a> tie the game again 🐻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/RqYwFamNAT">pic.twitter.com/RqYwFamNAT</a>
"They're too good a team to just give them goals," Brind'Amour told reporters. "We have no chance if that happens."
He added he "would have bet my life" on winning his coach's challenge:
"It's clear—especially the view that we saw after—that [the puck] is in between his pads and loose. But the guy came from the side, pushes his pads, squirts the puck out and puts it in. It's a little different if the guy had come in from the front and played the puck. You can't play the puck when it's in between his legs from the side and knock the goalie sideways."
There's no doubt the left pad of Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta moved and threw him slightly off balance. What wasn't as clear was who was responsible for the contact. The NHL addressed the play and chalked it up to "incidental contact":
Greg Wyshynski @wyshynskiOfficial ruling from the NHL on <a href="https://twitter.com/Canes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Canes</a> goalie interference challenge: “In a rebound situation, or where a goalkeeper and attacking player(s) are simultaneously attempting to play a loose puck … incidental contact will be permitted, and any goal that is scored will be allowed."
Beyond the fact the goal stood, what came next probably added to Brind'Amour's frustration.
The failed challenge meant Carolina received a two-minute penalty for delay of game, which was served by Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes quickly went down to three men after Sebastian Aho got a high sticking penalty.
As the Bruins' two-man advantage was ending, Brad Marchand scored to put Boston ahead 3-2.
The final score alone certainly paints a picture of a one-sided contest, but that couldn't have been further from the case. DeBrusk's goal was probably the turning point. While it didn't single-handedly cost the Hurricanes the game, it helped shift the momentum in Boston's favor.
With the series tied at 2-2, Carolina will look to rebound in Game 5 at home Tuesday.