BOSTON — Bruins head coach Claude Julien’s first NHL challenge should have resulted in a goal for his team, but the referees got the call wrong despite taking more than a minute to officially review the initial goal interference call.
The B’s, trailing 2-0 in the second period, finally caught a break when Boston winger Loui Eriksson deflected a puck past Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price from the side of the net.
The referee behind Eriksson immediately waived off the goal, citing goalie interference by Bruins center Patrice Bergeron. The referees and linesmen gathered at center ice to discuss the call and didn’t change it.
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Julien used a coach’s challenge, a new option given to coaches this season. It looked like Bergeron was pushed into Price by Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin. Even if it was all Bergeron, he barely touched the Habs netminder.
Still, the referees upheld the goalie interference call, and the league released an official statement explaining why:
Stick tap to Chris Abraham/SB Nation for the video
