In a Stanley Cup Playoffs filled with officiating miscues, what’s one more on the NHL’s biggest stage?
The St. Louis Blues took a 3-2 series lead over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup final, but Thursday’s 2-1 Game 5 win was marred by late controversy.
With the Blues up 1-0 in the third period and in the Boston zone, forward Tyler Bozak slew-footed Bruins’ winger Noel Acciari and then immediately spun to argue a tripping call that wasn’t coming. Acciari lay shaken up on the ice, giving St. Louis an inadvertent 5-on-4 that David Perron used to score seconds later, giving the Blues a 2-0 lead with 9:24 remaining.
Fans at TD Garden littered the ice with debris over the no-call that led to the eventual game-winner, while Acciari gave the referees a piece of his mind as he gingerly skated toward the bench, pulled from the game by a concussion spotter.
Those in the stands were’t the only ones upset with the oversight. Bruins president Cam Neely was shown in the team suite angrily throwing a bottle against the wall following the play, while coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t mince words in his postgame presser.
“The no-call on Acciari … their player is on his way to the box,” an irate Cassidy said. “It’s right in front of the official. It’s a slew-foot. Our guy’s gone. The spotter took him out of the game for a possible concussion. I mean, it’s blatant.
“It had a big effect on the game. This has happened. I’m a fan of the game. This is the National Hockey League. It’s getting a black eye with their officiating in this playoffs. There’s another one that’s going to be talked about.”
Acciari took a much more simple route with his thoughts.
“It’s a missed call,” Acciari said. “On the biggest stage in hockey. I don’t know what else I can say about it.”
The NHL, meanwhile, steered clear of the controversy, with head of officiating Stephen Walkom telling reporters, “We don’t make comments on judgment calls within games. There are hundreds of judgment calls in every game. The official on the play, he viewed it and he didn’t view it as a penalty at the time.”
