NHL disciplinarian says questionable Toronto Maple Leafs goal should not have counted
There are many ways to score a goal in the National Hockey League, but knocking over an opposing goaltender in order to do so isn't one of them.
That is how the Toronto Maple Leafs scored what ended up being their game-winning goal when they beat the visiting Florida Panthers by a score of 3-1 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto
on Tuesday, 26 October.
The goal was scored after Maple Leafs forward Colton Orr collided with Panthers goaltender Scott Clemmensen. Both fell to the ice just as the Leafs’ Tim Brent fired off a long shot. The
puck bounced off of Orr and went into the vacated Florida net.
Afterwards, Clemmensen approached referees Francis Charron and Stephen Walkom, stating that they should have made an interference call against Orr, but Clemmensen’s pleas were ignored
as they both allowed the goal to stand. Toronto would go on to get another goal from Phil Kessel late in the third period to win the game.
When Colin Campbell, the NHL’s Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations reviewed the goal later on, he stated that it should not have counted.
“It’s quite obvious if they had the chance to see it again, you would hope the call would be made that it was interference on a goaltender. This happens. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s
certainly a call you wish was made differently.”
Post-game, Panthers captain Bryan McCabe, head coach Peter DeBoer, and even general manager Dale Tallon complained about the questionable goal. Even Leafs head coach Ron Wilson said that
Orr’s goal should not have been allowed to stand.
But according to the NHL’s official rule book, goaltender interference is something that cannot be reviewed.
“Unfortunately, everything was in place to go against Florida last night,” said Campbell. “It happened late, went in their net, and they had hardly any chance to come back. It could have
been a no-goal and a power-play chance for Florida. It was a tough situation for our referees. They probably would like that call back if they had the opportunity.”
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