Boston Bruins: Will They Break or Bounce Back?
BOSTON — As the proverbial sword hangs low, the Boston Bruins find themselves skirting the edges of playoff elimination. After a third successive defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 4.A contentious non-call marked Sunday night’s 3-2 loss, once again stirring the pot of controversy surrounding Florida’s Sam Bennett.
Bennett has been a notorious figure in Boston ever since his highly debatable hits and sucker punch on Brad Marchand in Game 3. This unfortunate incident has left the Bruins devoid of their captain, Marchand ruled out due to an upper-body injury.
Stirring the waters of controversy again, Bennett emerged as a central figure in the third period of Sunday’s game. He scored a pivotal goal after clearly nudging Charlie Coyle into Jeremy Swayman, Boston’s goalkeeper.
While Boston had maintained a slim lead of 2-1. The Panthers started to show their hunger with an attacking powerplay in the Boston zone. Amidst the chaos in front of Boston’s Swayman, Bennett delivered a forceful push to Coyle, knocking him into the goalie. Never one to pass up an opportunity. Bennett quickly seized upon a rebound, taking a shot at the open net and equalizing the game at 2-2.
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Understandably, the Bruins were quick to protest this goal. Jim Montgomery, the head coach, challenged the call, feeling quite convinced. That the referees would spot Bennett’s cross-check on Coyle and slap him with goaltender interference. To many, it seemed like an open-and-shut case, considering Coyle’s collision with Swayman had hindered the goalie from making a play on the puck.
To the shock of most viewers, however, the referees upheld the call on the field after a brief review, maintaining the score at 2-2. Despite feeling hard done by this decision, the Bruins managed to fend off the penalty for an unsuccessful challenge. However, the relief was short-lived; just four minutes after Bennett’s goal. Aleksander Barkov slipped through the Bruins defense and scored for Florida, edging them to a 3-2 victory. Pushing the Boston Bruins closer to the precipice of playoff elimination.
Benny finds the rebound and ties the game! pic.twitter.com/79loBKweGB
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 13, 2024
Montgomery and his players understandably expressed frustration with the controversial call not being overturned. Montgomery expressed his belief in the clear interference on that play. He further noted that the NHL video review department in Toronto made the decision to uphold the goal but declined to comment further on the league’s decision.
Charlie Coyle and Jeremy Swayman, however, had more to say on the matter. Coyle, sharing his take on the controversial play. Stated that he could have made a play on the puck if it hadn’t been for Bennett’s push from behind. Swayman, who saved 38 shots that night, echoed Coyle’s sentiments, stating. “I just want to stick to facts, and the fact is that their player pushed my own player into me.” And I couldn’t play my position.”
The players’ views on the call seemed to be supported by Rule 69.1 in the NHL rule book, which states that if a defending player is pushed or shoved by an attacking player, causing contact with his goalie, the contact should be considered initiated by the attacker. If a goal is scored, it should be disallowed.
However, the NHL stood by their decision, asserting that the contact did not hinder Swayman from performing his role as a goalie.
The aftermath of this decision hits the Boston Bruins hard as they fought to regain their footing but could not overcome the momentum shift. Now, the survival of their season hangs in the balance as we look towards Game 5 on Tuesday night in Florida.
To move forward, the strategy for the Boston Bruins is simple, yet incredibly challenging. They need to secure three back-to-back wins to distress the Panthers from ending their season yet another summer. Notably, the Panthers last postseason overcame a 3-1 series lead against Boston. So turning the tables would be a fitting revenge for the Bruins.
Despite the odds, Swayman remains positive, stating, “I have no doubt in this group. And we have a lot of confidence, and a lot of motivation to bring it back to Boston. Because our fans deserve a lot better. And we’re excited to do that.”
