Panthers Coach Questions Refs About Key Bruins Goal In Game 4

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice did not seem thrilled with the explanation he received from officials on Brad Marchand’s goal in the Boston Bruins’ Game 4 victory Sunday at FLA Live Arena.

Marchand opened the scoring in the first period, charging in to knock a loose puck in the crease past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky just before a whistle blew. Marchand celebrated right away even as one of the on-ice referees waved off the goal. After a short conference by the officials, it was ruled a good goal.

“Well, the referee behind the net had decided that the play was dead so he blew the whistle and waved it off,” Maurice told reporters, per video from Florida Hockey Now. “And then he went and talked to the other three officials, they decided that probably shouldn’t have blown the whistle. I’m not sure where that one and the one in Tampa-Toronto (Saturday) night, how those two even out. But I don’t have enough experience in this league to be able to figure that (expletive) out.”

Officiating has been in the spotlight during the early portion of the Stanley Cup playoffs as a quick whistle disallowed a goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their Game 3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

While Maurice wasn’t irate over the call, he clearly is frustrated in trying to guess when the referees might blow the whistle on a stopped puck. And he doesn’t believe his 25 years of NHL head coaching experience is helping him figure it out, either.

The Panthers will try to stave off elimination against the Bruins in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.