‘If It Was (Covered), I Would Have Called A Challenge’: Craig Berube Explains Why Maple Leafs Did Not Contest Controversial Goal Against Jets

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a 5-2 decision to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, their final game before a brief three-day holiday break, resuming action on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings.

The loss snapped a previous six-game winning streak against the Jets for the Leafs, with Winnipeg’s last win against Toronto coming on December 5, 2021. Though seven goals were scored in the outing, it was a controversial fourth goal by the Jets that became the talking point of the game.

At 11:57 of the third period, Joseph Woll faced Mark Scheifele one-on-one and made an initial stop.

However, a chaotic sequence followed, with the puck seemingly trapped near Woll’s feet. Despite the awkward pause, no whistle was blown, allowing Scheifele and Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey to dig at Woll’s pads. Morrissey’s extra jabs ultimately dislodged the puck, which Scheifele buried to extend Winnipeg’s lead to 4-1.

Toronto’s bench and head coach Craig Berube hesitated to challenge the play in what could be defined as a questionable decision – given the game situation.

Trailing 3-1 at the time, a successful challenge could have reversed the call, keeping the Leafs in competitive reach. Even if the goal stood, the worst-case scenario was a two-minute penalty, likely resulting in the same 4-1 deficit.

“What I saw on the bench, I thought (Woll) did (have it covered),” said Berube. “But it was behind him. And I couldn't see on the bench from that angle. So our video guys looked at it. Otherwise, if it was (covered), I would have called a challenge.”

When asked if the referees should have blown the whistle sooner, Woll acknowledged that he couldn’t fully cover the puck and clarified that the officiating was not to blame.

“Yeah, I mean, I stretched pretty far and saved it at first, so I just couldn't cover it,” Woll explained.

“I'm always going to err towards yes because I want them to. I obviously don't want them to score. I trust the refs doing his job. Maybe at the moment, it's obviously one of the things that go your way, but we have the best refs in the world and I trust them to do their job,” he added.

Moments after the Jets’ controversial goal, John Tavares scored his second of the night and his 201st goal as a Maple Leaf, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with just over six minutes remaining.

Had the fourth goal been overturned, Tavares’ tally might have made it a one-goal game, altering the Leafs’ strategy down the stretch.

Related: John Tavares Joins Elite NHL Company After Scoring 200th Goal With Maple Leafs

Instead, the Jets capitalized on the chain of events, sealing the win with an empty-net goal by Scheifele – his third of the night for a natural hat-trick.

The Leafs will take the coming three days to rest and regroup, seeking to snap a two-game losing skid on Friday in Detroit – with three games in five days when the schedule resumes.