- Tortorella lost a goalie interference challenge with five minutes left in a tied Game 2
- The failed bid handed Carolina the power play that put the Canes in front
- Read below for video of Tortorella’s explanation and the controversial call
John Tortorella has zero regrets about the challenge that flipped Game 2.
Asked after Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina why he risked a penalty on the no-goal review, the Vegas coach didn’t hesitate. “I’d challenge it 10/10 times,” he said.
Watch his answer:
It was 2-2 with five minutes left in regulation when Pavel Dorofeyev poked a loose puck past Frederik Andersen. The officials immediately waved it off for goaltender interference, and Tortorella went to the review.
The situation room upheld the call on the ice. See the video of the full sequence:
Losing the challenge meant a delay of game penalty, and Carolina needed less than three minutes to cash in. Jordan Staal tipped home the go-ahead goal on the power play.
Mark Stone forced overtime with 1:21 left, but Seth Jarvis ended it on another power play 3:56 into the extra frame. The Hurricanes evened the series at a game apiece.
After the game, the NHL explained the ruling. The referee believed Andersen had the puck under him and that Dorofeyev interfered with his ability to freeze it. Jesse Granger of The Athletic posted the league’s full explanation:
Tortorella told reporters he saw a loose puck in the crease and his guy poked at it. The numbers say he was fighting uphill. The league upheld 96 percent of no-goal reviews last season, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Game 3 goes Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas gets home ice, and Tortorella gets two days to hear about the call he’d make again.
