The Ottawa Senators’ successful goaltender-interference challenge wiped out Jesper Boqvist’s third-period goal on Monday, after the NHL’s Situation Room ruled that Cody Glass had poked the puck loose from a covered Linus Ullmark.
Ottawa led 3-0 at the time, but the Devils were pressing. New Jersey outshot Ottawa 14-3 in the third period, finally appearing to break through at 11:58. After Ullmark stopped a pair of quick chances at the top of the crease, Boqvist found what looked like a loose puck behind the goaltender and put it in.
One problem: the puck wasn’t loose.
Ullmark had it covered under his leg pads when Devils forward Cody Glass jammed his stick in and pried it free. Senators head coach Travis Green challenged for goaltender interference. Good call, coach. The NHL agreed, overturning the goal.
From the Situation Room:
Video review determined that New Jersey’s Cody Glass interfered with Linus Ullmark by pushing his pad, which caused the covered puck to become loose prior to Jesper Boqvist’s goal.
The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.3, which states in part, “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.”
The interference standard is in Rule 69.1: goals are disallowed if “an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal.” The rule defines “contact” to include contact made with a stick, and Rule 69.3 adds that if an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper in his crease and a goal is scored, the goal comes off the board.
This one was simpler than the usual crease-contact coin flip. A puck covered by the goaltender is a frozen puck; play is supposed to stop. Digging it out from under his pads and scoring off the second chance isn’t a rebound goal; it’s exactly the kind of impairment Rule 69 exists to erase. Once the replay showed the puck covered before Glass’s stick arrived, the review was straightforward.
Green went 8-for-11 (72.7%) last season on coach’s challenges, including 2-for-5 (40%) on goaltender interference – ahead of NHL averages for overall challenges (62.7%) and interference challenges (38.8%). Since taking over in Ottawa, he’s 16-for-22 overall (72.7%) and 6-for-12 on interference (50%).
The Devils lost four goals to coach’s challenges last season, including one taken off the board by the Sens’ Green via offside challenge.
New Jersey’s Arseny Gritsyuk eventually spoiled Ullmark’s shutout at 14:59, cutting it to 3-1, but Tyler Kleven’s empty-netter at 17:53 sealed the 4-1 final for the Senators over the Devils at the Prudential Center. Ullmark finished with 29 saves and improved to 5-0-0; Ottawa (5-1-0) won its third straight. New Jersey fell to 2-3-0.
Officials for the game were referees Francis Charron (#6) and Beau Halkidis (#22), with Ryan Jackson (#84) and Jonny Murray (#95) on the lines.
