New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy expressed frustration with the NHL’s review process after his team had a potential game-winning goal overturned late in regulation during Monday’s 4–3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With the game tied 3–3 and just 9.6 seconds remaining, Kyle Palmieri redirected a shot past Elvis Merzlikins, seemingly securing a crucial victory for New York in the tight wild-card race. However, the referee immediately ruled goaltender interference and disallowed the goal. After a review, the call was upheld, sending the game into overtime.
Roy didn’t hold back in his post-game comments, criticizing the league’s video review system. “If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls on the ice, we don’t need Toronto,” he said, referring to the NHL’s review center. “That’s all I want to say.”
"If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee, we don't need Toronto."
Patrick Roy had some strong words for the NHL head office after the Islanders' potential game-winning goal was overturned. pic.twitter.com/H56O0te2Tc
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 25, 2025
Kyle Palmieri, who was penalized for goaltender interference after making contact with the Blue Jackets’ netminder before the puck crossed the line, didn’t hide his frustration. “I think it was (expletive) embarrassing,” Palmieri said, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. “It looked like [the referee] couldn’t wait to wave it off.”
Teammate Bo Horvat shared his disappointment. “To me, that’s a goal all day long,” he said. “I don’t know what’s good and what’s not anymore. That was one of the worst (calls) I’ve seen.”
Horvat also expressed frustration over the lack of consistency in officiating. “The frustrating part is we don’t know how to operate near the crease anymore. It’s a guessing game. We’ve had so many goals called back in the last couple of weeks, and it’s really frustrating when you’re fighting for a playoff spot.”
He added, “That’s a game-winning goal late in the game. To me, it’s unacceptable.”
After review, the play was deemed no goal ❌ https://t.co/an89R8AwN0 pic.twitter.com/FtRKD0SIOw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 25, 2025
Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, and Boone Jenner found the back of the net for Columbus, while goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stopped 30 shots. The Islanders entered the third period with a 3-2 lead but gave up a tying goal for the third consecutive game. With the score still knotted at 3-3 after overtime, the contest went to a shootout, where Fantilli netted the decisive goal for the Blue Jackets.
Islanders head coach Patrick Roy didn’t just point fingers at the officiating—he also criticized his team’s lackluster third-period performance. “We didn’t play well in the third. We were outstanding in the first,” Roy said. “We stopped playing simple. We weren’t quick on the wall, didn’t move the puck up, and lost too many battles.”
Despite the frustration, Roy believed his team had done enough to secure the win. “Overall, we played well enough. We should have won that game.”
The loss drops the Islanders to 32-28-10, leaving them one point behind Montreal for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
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