Paul Bissonnette demands consistent officiating as no goalie interference is called on Bruins' goal

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified May 15, 2024 02:03 GMT

NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette shared a strong opinion regarding the goal scored by Boston Bruins defender Charlie McAvoy during the second period of tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.

Bissonnette voiced concern over the apparent lack of consistency in the officiating, stating that McAvoy’s goal should have been disallowed due to goalie interference.

During the play in question, the analyst pointed out that Bruins’ forward Danton Heinen tripped Florida Panthers’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, causing him to stumble. The television broadcast clearly showed Heinen’s interference, according to Paul Bissonnette.

"Heinen’s stick makes contact with Bobrovsky’s right foot inside the crease," Bissonnette said on his X/Twitter. "You can see him stumble when it makes contact. Then, he tries to get out and obviously challenge McAvoy’s shot."

The Panthers challenged the play but lost, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead midway through the second period.

While the call stood on the ice, Paul Bissonnette felt that an earlier Panthers’ goal, specifically the controversial goal by Sam Bennett in Game 4, was also questionable. Despite Bennett apparently pushing Bruins' forward Charlie Coyle in a goalie interference move, the goal counted. Panthers eventually won the game, giving them a 3-1 series lead.

Paul Bissonnette added:

“I thought that the Bennett one should have been called back. And I also think that this one should have been called back. That’s why I said, ‘Make it even.’”

To conclude, Bissonnette stated:

"That was goalie interference. Plain and simple."

The Boston Bruins have now forced a Game 6 with the final score of 2-1. Meanwhile, the Panthers will look to mount a comeback in the next game to send Boston home for the summer.

The League disagrees with Paul Bissonnette

While Bissonnette and many fans complained about the no-call on the Charlie McAvoy goal, the League issued an official statement highlighting the explanation for the officiating decision.

The Situation Room reviewed the goal, determining that:

"No goaltender interference infractions occurred prior to Chalie McAvoy’s goal."

The unsuccessful challenge by the Florida Panthers resulted in a two-minute minor penalty served by Kyle Okposo. The decision to uphold the call on the ice is an interesting one, as Rule 8.5 on interference with the goaltender states the following:

"Goaltender interference refers to any attacking player who, by means of their stick or body, interferes with or impedes the movements of the goaltender by actual physical contact."

The rule goes on to state:

"While incidental contact with the goaltender may occur, attacking players must make an effort to avoid contact in all circumstances. The onus is always on the attacking player and players who do not make an effort to avoid the goaltender must be penalized."

Based on the text above, the league felt that Danton Heinen did not intentionally make contact with Bobrovsky, nor did Heinen’s stick or body impede the goalie’s movements.

While observers like Paul Bissonnette may disagree, the goal counted.