The Tampa Bay Lightning were up in arms in Game 3, and not just because Steven Stamkos was kneed in the head by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin.
Controversial no-goal call robs Lightning of go-ahead goal in Game 3
Montreal escaped with what looked like a blown call.
Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
That play probably wouldn’t have happened if not for the apparent blown call by the officials a minute earlier that robbed Tampa of a go-ahead goal.
Midway through the second period, Alex Killorn drove the puck to the net and knocked Carey Price out of his crease. The play continued, even though Killorn was stuck inside the Canadiens' net.
Killorn tried to escape at the exact moment that Price returned to the net, causing the Habs’ netminder to fall down. Tampa Bay then finished the play with what looked like the go-ahead goal.
(via @MyRegularFace)
But the goal was waived off due to goaltender interference, causing one of the biggest controversies of the first round. The Lightning's argument was that the goal happened long enough after the interference that Price had enough time to make a fair attempt at stopping the shot.
Former NHL referee Kerry Fraser disagreed.
Correct call on disallowed goal! 69.3if goalkeeper in act of establishing his position within crease, initiates contact with an attacking
— Kerry Fraser (@kfraserthecall) April 21, 2014 Player who is in the goal crease & this results with impairment of goalkeeper's ability to defend his goal, the goal will be disallowed.
— Kerry Fraser (@kfraserthecall) April 21, 2014 But did Killorn truly “impair” Price’s ability to defend the net? It’s a question that will gnaw at Tampa Bay fans for the rest of the series, as the game’s momentum swung fully to Montreal’s side after the play.
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