Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour contends goalie was interfered with on 2nd-period goal

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said the Boston Bruins were handed a goal by the officials when his goalie interference challenge failed to overturn a second-period tally from forward Jake DeBrusk.

«They're too good a team to just give them goals. We have no chance if that happens,» said Brind'Amour after Sunday's Game 4 at Boston's TD Garden, a 5-2 Bruins victory that knotted their first-round series at 2.

With 1:16 left in the second period, DeBrusk scored a power-play goal to tie the game at 2. Forward Brad Marchand backhanded the puck on Carolina goalie Antti Raanta, who unsuccessfully tried to cover it. A scramble at the net ensued, and DeBrusk finally tapped the puck over the goal line.

Replays showed that Raanta's left pad was moved by a stick before the goal was scored, knocking him off balance. It wasn't clear whether it was the stick of DeBrusk or that of Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce that had jostled the goalie.

«I didn't have it covered. But I felt like if you can take the goalie out of his balance and then score, it should be goalie interference,» said Raanta. «I had a good conversation with the ref. It is what it is.»

Brind'Amour opted to use a coach's challenge on the play, but the goal was upheld.

«I would have bet my life on that one,» said Brind'Amour. «It's clear — especially the view that we saw after — that [the puck] is in between his pads and loose. But the guy came from the side, pushes his pads, squirts the puck out and puts it in. It's a little different if the guy had come in from the front and played the puck. You can't play the puck when it's in between his legs from the side and knock the goalie sideways.»

The NHL explained the call by citing Rule 69.7, which states, that «in a