It’s safe to say Kyle Palmieri and the New York Islanders are not fans of the officiating crew from their loss on Monday night.
The forward thought he had netted a likely game-winner, his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season with less than 10 seconds left when he deflected a shot past Columbus Blue Jackets‘ Elvis Merzlikins. However, the goal was immediately waived off by officials and ruled a no-goal due to goalie interference.
New York went on to lose 4-3 in a shootout for a second consecutive loss. A stinging defeat for a team just one point behind the Montreal Canadiens for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
After the game, Palmieri did not mince words when reacting to the matter, calling the on-ice decision “(expletive) embarrassing,” per New York Post’s Ethan Sears.
When Palmieri was asked if he’d been given an explanation for the call, his response was that the official said “there was contact in the crease.”
The winger then added “I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot. It looked like (the official) couldn’t wait to wave it off.”
Palmieri wasn’t the only one peeved by the outcome as head coach Patrick Roy added his two cents shortly after.
“I saw it the same way you guys saw it,” the Islanders bench boss responded when asked about the play post-game. “Palmieri was out of the crease and he tipped it in, and I think their goalie pushed him away at the same time … that’s how I see it.”
Roy didn’t stop there, however, as he added that if the league’s headquarters in Toronto is “afraid” to overturn calls made by officials on the ice while monitoring games, then “we don’t need Toronto.”
The Islanders return to action on Wednesday as they host the Vancouver Canucks.
