Bruce Cassidy Delivers Zinger After Highly Questionable Goaltender Interference Call Takes Goal Away From Bruins
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins won their game and earned two points on Tuesday night. In that sense, it was a case of all's well that ends well.
But along the way, the Bruins dealt with a rather frustrating call on the ice of goaltender interference -- a call that took away what could have (and should have) been the game-winning goal late in the third period.
Officials on the ice ruled that Craig Smith had interfered with Chicago netminder Marc-Andre Fleury just before Charlie Coyle scored with 4:47 left in a 1-1 game. The contact between Smith and Fleury, though, was minimal, so Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the call on the ice. After a review, though, the call on the ice was upheld, and the goal didn't count.
The game remained tied at one goal apiece, and the Bruins ended up winning in overtime, with Matt Grzelcyk scoring the game-winner off a feed from Taylor Hall.
After the win, Cassidy managed to work in a zinger toward the officials and the NHL for the call and the upholding of the call that took away Coyle's goal.
"We were just finally able to get one in overtime there to win 3-1," Cassidy said.
Kidding aside, Cassidy explained why he felt Coyle's goal should have counted.
"Well I didn't like the call at all. I mean, I've watched it 10 times. I still don't see where there's interference," Cassidy said. "I see their guy going into their goalie. I think Smitty might have touched his blocker, and that's a might. And that was before the shot, it didn't affect [Fleury's] ability to play the position, in my opinion. Thankfully we got the kill [of the penalty resulting in the failed challenge], got a chance to win it in overtime. But like I said, I thought it was a good goal all day long."
Cassidy was asked why he made the challenge, considering how rare it is for a call on the ice to be overturned.
"You're right, and typically I wouldn't challenge it with five minutes to go. But I just thought it was so obvious that it was a goal, that they just mistook maybe Smitty for their guy who slid into [Fleury], their own player, [Riley Stillman]," Cassidy said. "And we didn't affect [Stillman's] path to the goal. He kind of turned and pivoted and lost his footing. So for me, I just thought that's one that they would [overturn]. The National Hockey League's always looking for more offense, and I thought that was certainly a good goal."
Cassidy said he'll likely make a phone call to the league office to try to get a better understanding of the ruling.
"But I don't think it'll matter, to be honest with you," Cassidy said.
