Islanders Slam ‘Embarrassing’ Late Call in Loss That Could Impact Playoff Push
The Islanders have been frustrated all season with inconsistent goaltender interference calls, but on Monday night, their anger reached a boiling point.
With just 8.9 seconds left in regulation, Kyle Palmieri’s potential game-winner was waved off due to a controversial call, and the Islanders’ regulation win turned into a shootout loss. The Blue Jackets triumphed 4-3 in the shootout, leaving the Islanders fuming in the locker room.
Palmieri did not hold back, calling the decision “f–king embarrassing” and expressing his strong disagreement with the call. “I couldn’t disagree more with the call,” he said.
Alexander Romanov echoed the frustration, adding, “I don’t think anyone in this room agrees with this decision.”
Head coach Patrick Roy was equally upset, accusing the NHL’s situation room in Toronto of being “afraid” to overturn on-ice calls. “Palmieri was out of the crease and tipped it in. I think their goalie [Elvis Merzlikins] pushed him away at the same time,” Roy said. “If Toronto’s afraid to overturn calls made by the referee, we don’t need Toronto.”
While there were other factors contributing to the loss, including a struggling power play and a lackluster third period, the timing of the call made it particularly frustrating. The Islanders now find themselves in a tight playoff race, with their loss potentially haunting them if they miss the postseason by a single point.
The referees immediately waved off Palmieri’s goal, which was puzzling given how close the call was. Despite a lengthy review, the decision stood, with Palmieri claiming referee Michael Markovic said there was contact initiated in the crease. “It looked like [Markovic] couldn’t wait to wave it off,” Palmieri said.
The Islanders built a strong 2-0 lead early in the game but faltered as the Blue Jackets capitalized on their power play struggles. Despite regaining the lead in the second period, the Islanders allowed the game to slip away, with Columbus tying it up and forcing overtime.
After Palmieri’s disallowed goal, both teams had chances in overtime, but Columbus eventually won in the shootout, with Adam Fantilli scoring the decisive goal.
This loss marks the third consecutive game where the Islanders have let a lead slip away in the third period, reminiscent of earlier struggles this season. Roy acknowledged that the Islanders’ lack of urgency in the final period contributed to the collapse. “We stopped playing in their zone…we lost a lot of battles,” he said.
Despite the frustration, Roy felt the Islanders deserved to win. The immediate damage in the standings is not massive, as the Islanders remain tied with the Rangers and one point behind Montreal, though the Canadiens have a game in hand. However, with the playoffs on the line, every point is critical.
Roy summed up his frustration, questioning the rationale behind the controversial calls: “If you’re outside the crease, I always thought that was the place to be. That’s all. Are you telling me the [Juraj] Slafkovsky goal [from Thursday] wasn’t worse than what we saw tonight?”
No one had an answer.
Leave a Reply