BOSTON — A few Bruins were measured in their criticism of the on-ice officials and NHL officials in Toronto for failing to overturn a controversial third-period goal.
Coach Jim Montgomery clearly disagreed with the decision to let Sam Bennett’s game-tying goal to stand in the third period, despite Bennett’s shove of Charlie Coyle into goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins challenged the call, alleging goaltender interference, but the goal stood.
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“It’s not my place to comment,” said Montgomery after the Bruins’ 3-2 loss that leaves them a loss away from elimination at the hands of the Florida Panthers. “The league does a good job handling their end of things, just like I think teams do a good job of handling their teams.”
Coyle was similarly circumspect, claiming that while he believed Bennett interfered with Swayman, “you just never know” how challenges are going to be handled.
But in another corner of the Bruins dressing room, star forward David Pastrnak wasn’t nearly as measured.
“The explanation I got was that Coyle’s position didn’t matter for Sway to make that save,” said Pastrnak, who scored the Bruins’ first goal of the night. “To us, it was clear that Coyle got cross-checked in the crease and Sway couldn’t move. You have to look at the rulebook, it’s clear there. It’s goalie interference. That’s why we challenged it…We thought it was a sure thing.”
Asked directly if he was shocked that the challenge wasn’t upheld and the goal disallowed, Pastrnak responded: “Yeah.”
Pastrnak was further incensed that it was Bennett doing the goal-scoring. The Bruins were of the belief that Bennett should have been suspended for his punch to the head of Brad Marchand in Game 3. Marchand missed Game 4 and is reportedly in concussion protocol.
“One hundred percent,” said Pastrnak. “We saw it was obviously clearly intentional in our look with the footage we got. These are the cards we have to deal with. We have to make sure to regroup and get ready for the next game.”
And it wasn’t just the non-call that bothered Pastrnak, who noted that the Bruins were assessed four minor penalties — two to defenseman Hampus Lindholm — in the final period.
“To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen four penalties in the third period (of a playoff game),” said Pastrnak. “That’s eight minutes, almost half of the period you spend on the kill. I can’t even recall the penalties right now, so I don’t want to get into it. I’m just saying I’ve never seen a team take four penalties, and, it was (all) in a row.
“It’s tough. We have to stay out of the box and play five-on-five.”
