What did come as a bit of a surprise was how candid Boucher was in addressing the perceived uneven enforcement of the rules that the Lightning feel they've been subjected to in games worked by one of the referees schedule for this game.
Boucher was asked after his club's morning skate on Wednesday about the "lopsided" calls of "one particular" ref, an apparent reference to Eric Furlatt, who will work the game with Kelly Sutherland.
"[It's] 24-9 against, right?" Boucher said of the penalty calls in the last four Lighting games worked by Furlatt, including three in the playoffs. "Yes, I'm aware of it. Very aware of it. Very, very aware of it. It has been a part of our discussions quite a few times in the last game, the last games we did have that particular ref. And it is lopsided. But the only thing we can control is what we do on the ice and hope that things will be fair like it is with everybody else."
Furlatt and Sutherland both worked Game 2 of this series in Boston, which the Bruins won 6-5 while scoring a pair of power-play goals on six opportunities with the man-advantage. The Lightning converted 1 of 4 power-play chances. Overall, the Lightning were called for eight minors to Boston's six, with matching minors handed out to both teams twice.
Furlatt also worked two games in Tampa's first-round series with Pittsburgh, though neither time with Sutherland. Tampa was called for seven penalties to the Penguins' three in a 3-0 loss in Game 1, though neither team scored a power-play goal, and had six penalties to Pittsburgh's four in Game 6, plus there was a penalty shot awarded to the Penguins. Pittsburgh didn't convert that chance and was 0 for 5 on the power play as Tampa prevailed 4-2.
Boucher was asked if he could block out the past history with Furlatt, but admitted it was difficult.
"You want to ignore it, but you're right, after repetition, it is a concern," Boucher said. "But we're planning on being strong mentally and forcing whoever is a ref to see that we're very disciplined."
Sutherland also worked two other Lightning games this postseason, a 3-2 Tampa loss in Game 3 against Pittsburgh where there were four penalties called on the Penguins and just two on Tampa, and Game 1 of the Washington series, when Tampa won 4-2 with five penalties called on the Lightning and four on the Capitals.
Sutherland also worked Game 7 of the Boston-Montreal series, which the Bruins won 4-3 in overtime despite four penalties called on the Bruins and just two on Montreal. The Canadiens forced OT with a power-play goal by P.K. Subban with 1:57 left in regulation after a high-sticking call on Patrice Bergeron.
Furlatt also worked one other Boston playoff game, calling five penalties on the Bruins, including a questionable roughing call on Zdeno Chara with 2:39 left in regulation, and three on the Flyers in Boston's 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 in Philadelphia.
