RALEIGH, N.C. — An unsuccessful coach’s challenge by John Tortorella became a pivotal turning point during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday evening.
The Vegas Golden Knights thought they had found the back of the net with five minutes remaining in regulation time, but referee Jean Hebert immediately disallowed the goal, ruling goaltender interference. Hebert declared that he and his fellow on-ice officials believed Ivan Barbashev had pushed Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen while forcing the puck into the goal.
Following some consideration, Tortorella chose to challenge the ruling, and officials along with the on-site NHL situation room quickly upheld the original no-goal decision. Carolina converted on the resulting power play just 25 seconds afterward and ultimately prevailed 4-3 in overtime to even the series.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”
The review focused exclusively on goalie interference and had no connection to whether the whistle had blown before the puck entered the net.
“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” executive vice president and director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool reporter. “He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie, and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waived it off immediately.”
Mark Jankowski had evened the score for the Hurricanes just moments before after Logan Stankoven began the rally from a 2-0 deficit. On Carolina’s bench, players and coach Rod Brind’Amour remained uncertain about how the review would conclude.
“Obviously, you’re hoping for the best,” center Sebsastian Aho said. “You can’t really control it. I didn’t have a really good view of it, so I had no clue. So, I was just hoping for the best.”
Brind’Amour chose not to challenge a potential goalie interference situation in Game 1 on Tuesday evening because multiple factors were involved. His judgment proved correct once more.
“It happened to us in I guess the first game: When it’s called a goal or no goal on the ice, it better be 100% to challenge it,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s the rule we go by. So, they called no goal on the ice, so that’s kind of how I think it worked out. I don’t know. I don’t know what the explanation is. It looked like he had it covered, and then all of a sudden it was in the net. I don’t know. I haven’t really looked at it. I was just happy that it went our way.”
Andersen stretched to his limit to make a paddle save against Barbashev’s initial attempt. A scramble developed near the crease as players lunged for the puck, trying either to score or prevent a goal.
“To me, it felt like a no goal,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “Obviously, I’m on the other side, but I’m sure they have a different opinion. My gut was like, ‘Man, there’s no way.’ What an incredible effort my Freddie just staying with that one and finding a way to get a piece of that. I was flopping everywhere. I didn’t know what was going on. Freddy just stuck with it. The guy’s an absolute animal. That was a pretty crazy play and obviously a game-changer for us.”
A failed coach’s challenge results in a two-minute minor penalty. Vegas had successfully killed all four previous Carolina power plays in the series up to that moment.
“I’m not sure how they go about their thought process, Brind’Amour said. “They’ve obviously killed all the penalties. That’s a big one.”
Staal ensured the Golden Knights couldn’t kill this penalty, deflecting defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere’s shot from the point for Carolina’s eighth power play goal of the playoffs. Seth Jarvis added the ninth with his overtime winner, though the extra period might never have occurred without Tortorella’s challenge.
“You’d like to make them pay every time,” Aho said. “It’s a big swing because the other option is going down a goal. But other than that, every time you get a power play, you’re trying to score. So, it’s not that different, but obviously it was a big swing.”
