It’s another day in the NHL playoffs, which of course means we have another officiating controversy.
NHL referees notoriously swallow the whistles in spring, and Wednesday’s victim of a painful no-call was the New York Islanders, who fell 4-3 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jesper Fast’s goal … a tally that seemingly should have never happened.
Just moments before Fast’s goal, the Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook caught Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield in the face with his stick, which should have triggered a New York power play. Except officials missed the call (or chose to ignore it). Mayfield clutched at his face and appeared to be out of position as the Hurricanes quickly reorganized, with Jordan Staal zipping a cross-ice pass to Fast for the winner.
Mayfield and Islander coach Lane Lambert both expressed their displeasure with the non-call. The Islanders were assessed four penalties (12 minutes) to the Hurricanes’ one, and Carolina had a 6-0 advantage in power-play opportunities during the game.
The series now shifts to Long Island for the first playoff games ever at the Islanders’ UBS Arena. Carolina leads the series 2-0.
More: Sebastian Aho scores for Hurricanes. No, not the one on the team.
Panthers 6, Bruins 3
BOSTON (AP) – Brandon Montour scored twice and the Florida Panthers had four third-period goals to beat the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins 6-3 on Wednesday night and send Boston to its first loss in 10 games.
The Panthers – the NHL’s top regular-season team last season – tied the best-of-seven series and head home for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday. There will be a Game 5 back in Boston on Wednesday.
Montour scored 22 seconds into the third period to break a 2-2 tie, Carter Verhaeghe added an insurance goal, then Montour scored again for Florida and Eetu Luostarinen added an empty netter with 2:25 to play to make it 6-2.
Alex Lyon stopped 34 shots, and Sam Bennett and Eric Staal also scored for the Panthers, who seemed overmatched by the NHL-best Bruins in a 3-1 series-opening loss.
Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal, and Tyler Bertuzzi and Taylor Hall also scored for the Bruins, who won their last eight – and 15 of their last 16 – regular-season games while setting NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points. Linus Ullmark made 24 saves.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Islanders lose to Hurricanes after refs don’t call high stick penalty
