Brendan Gallagher sounds off after Canadiens disallowed goal (VIDEO)

Feb 24 2021, 6:48 pm

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher ripped NHL officials last night.

In the final seconds of a tie game between the Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators, Gallagher deflected the apparent game-winner into the net.

A few minutes later, though, the officials changed the call. On a closer look of the play by the NHL’s video review headquarters in Toronto, it was determined that the goal was disallowed due to goalie interference.

The Senators ended up winning the game in a shootout.

“I’m still searching for an explanation that makes sense,” Gallagher told the media post-game. “We sit down at the start of every season and the NHL prepares a video for us. The referees see the exact same video. We’ve seen that same video, plenty of examples where the player’s working his way out, he’s pushed into the goalie, the goal counted. We watched this video, the refs watched this video.”

“For some reason this example is different. I don’t know why. To me it’s ruining the product, I don’t know, the inconsistency… I get knocked on my ass, I have time to reset. Can’t tell me the goalie doesn’t have time to reset.”

The issue from the officials’ perspective is where Gallagher found himself when he stood up and tipped in the potential game-winner.

“Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher impaired Ottawa goaltender Matt Murray’s ability to play his position in the crease prior to the puck entering the net,” a statement from the NHL situation room explained.

This disallowed goal was not the only time Montreal has dealt with the NHL’s replay system in the past couple of days.

On Saturday night, in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a Montreal goal in the second period was initially upheld. However, the Leafs challenged the play for goalie interference, and the goal was overturned. Toronto eventually won that game.

ADVERTISEMENT