How Bruins Players Felt During Review Of Charlie McAvoy Goal

Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle, who were both on the ice for Charlie McAvoy’s goal during Game 5 against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, were just as uneasy as Boston Bruins fans watching from home.

Frederic and Coyle, and perhaps others on the bench, couldn’t help but be pessimistic when officials reviewed McAvoy’s goal midway through the second period. After all, the Black and Gold had a game-altering goaltender interference go against them some 48 hours earlier in their Game 4 loss to the Panthers.

“I thought no way they were gonna call it a good goal,” Frederic told reporters after Boston’s eventual 2-1 win at Amerant Bank Arena, per Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. 

“I didn’t see the replay,” Frederic continued. “In my head, I was just like, even throughout the year — I feel like when you score, I feel like they call it back a lot. And I think, right now, it’s a coin flip.”

Coyle was the one who slid the pass to McAvoy after the defenseman jumped over the boards and entered the zone. McAvoy unleashed a wrister past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at 10:25 in the middle period, but Florida head coach Paul Maurice challenged the play because he thought Danton Heinen made contact with Bobrovsky.

“Not good things,” Coyle told reporters when asked what was going through his mind, per Ryan. “And honestly, you never know what’s going to happen and you just try to on the bench, say, ‘Hey whatever happens here — we’re coming back again, we’re doing it the right way.’ You can’t dwell on anything.”

Officials kept the call on the ice, and McAvoy provided the Bruins a 2-1 advantage. McAvoy told reporters he didn’t feel Bobrovsky was interfered with, but teammate David Pastrnak confirmed McAvoy was stressed out during the replay review. Fortunately for the Bruins, this game-altering replay review went their way and McAvoy’s goal proved to be a season-extending tally.

The Bruins and Panthers will meet for Game 6 at TD Garden on Friday night.