NHL Explains Why John Tavares Goal Was Allowed In Bruins-Maple Leafs

Controversy never seems to be far when the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs face one another. So, it was appropriate that as they met for the first time in well over a year and a half, there was controversy on one of the game’s first goals.

Taylor Hall struck first in Boston’s eventual 5-2 loss, but the Leafs answered less than four minutes later. Morgan Rielly fed a puck into the slot that somehow found Mitch Marner. He redirected it to John Tavares, who tipped it across the goal line.

But as Tavares scored, the net came undone as he jostled for position with Patrice Bergeron. The call on the ice was a goal, and after a lengthy review, it was upheld. The Bruins’ argument seemed to be that the goal was off its moorings before the puck crossed the line because of Tavares.

Here was the NHL’s explanation.

The Referee’s call on the ice was that the puck crossed the Boston goal line after the actions of Patrice Bergeron caused the net to be displaced. Video review upheld the Referee’s call on the ice.

The decision was made in accordance with Rule 63.7 which states, in part, that “in the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the Referee may award a goal. In order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the attacking player must have an imminent scoring opportunity prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts.”

The Bruins disagreed with the call, which you can understand why. If you watch the goal again, it sure seems as though Tavares was the one who knocked the goal off, not Bergeron. If that’s the case, then the goal should have been waved off.

Ultimately, the Bruins losing by three makes it a somewhat moot point. Conversely, the goal happened early enough that it could have helped Boston better set the tone early on.