Did Rangers get away with goalie interference on Carey Price?

Rick Nash scored the NHL equivalent of a layup against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, into an open net. How the net was left open, however, was a point of controversy, because it sure did seem that Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers dragged Canadiens goalie Carey Price out of the way with his skate.

Here’s the play in question, which is now a footnote thanks to the Canadiens’ stirring 5-4 win over the Rangers, thanks to three quick third-period goals.

The Canadiens challenged the play, but the goal was upheld. The NHL’s explanation:

At 6:20 of the second period in the Rangers/Canadiens game, Montreal requested a Coach’s Challenge to review whether Kevin Hayes interfered with goaltender Carey Price before the puck entered the net.

After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee confirmed that the incidental contact outside the crease between Hayes and Price did not constitute a goaltender interference infraction.

Therefore the original call stands – good goal New York Rangers. Since the Coach’s Challenge did not result in the original call being overturned, the Montreal Canadiens forfeit their time-out.

Now, deciphering the NHL rulebook on goalie interference is like untangling Christmas lights after your fifth eggnog. But near as we can figure, the NHL is arguing:

1 – That Price was “outside the crease,” which apparently means his pad was outside the crease and hence he was outside the crease. And if he was outside the crease, then “incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.”

And say what you will about the play, but a botched Forsberg move doesn’t equal intentional contact.

2 – That Price’s position inside or outside the crease is ultimately immaterial, because “the spirit of the rule” says it is. From the rulebook: “In exercising his judgment, the Referee should give more significant consideration to the degree and nature of the contact with the goalkeeper than to the exact location of the goalkeeper at the time of the contact.”

So it’s not the where, but the how.

Price said after the game: “I disagree with the call.”

Blame the rulebook.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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