A game-tying goal from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett survived a coach’s challenge for goaltender interference after he shoved Boston’s Charlie Coyle into Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman. 

Early in the third period, the Florida Panthers were on the power play, trailing by one.  A Tarasenko shot hit defenseman Andrew Peeke, the puck eventually making its way to Bennett at the far post. The Panthers forward shoved Coyle into the crease – where he collided with his own netminders – and fired the puck into the net.

 

 

The officials called it a goal on the ice. The Bruins, though, issued a Coach’s Challenge for goaltender interference.

Here’s Rule 69:

If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.

Seems pretty clear, right?

If you need more support, see rule 69.3 considering that the ‘contact by the attacking player’ can happen by shoving a defender.

If an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.

After review, the Situation Room ruled that there was no goaltender interference on the play. Remember that decisions on all Coach’s Challenges are made by the room and not by the on-ice officials.

The TNT broadcast crew reported that the NHL provided additional detail on the Situation Room’s ruling.

“Their stance is that there was some contact. They acknowledged the shove but didn’t think there was enough to be considered goaltender interference.” 

“The referee down low saw the shove, acknowledged the shove, just didn’t think it was enough contact to take away the goalie’s ability to make the save. That is the stance of the NHL. Both the NHL referees on the ice and the Situation Room agreed that there was no goaltender interference on the play.”

Ultimately, the Situation Room saw the shove.  They saw the contact between Coyle and Swayman.  They felt that it wasn’t enough for goaltender interference.

Here’s the official ruling from the NHL:

Video review supported the Referees’ call on the ice that that the shove by Florida’s Sam Bennett on Charlie Coyle and the subsequent contact with Jeremy Swayman did not prevent Swayman from playing his position in the crease prior to Bennett’s goal. 

 

Officials for the game are referees Frederick L’Ecuyer (#17) and Francis Charron (#6) with linesmen Ryan Daisy (#81) and Devin Berg (#87).