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There were two challenges for goaltender interference in Thursday night's tilt between the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets at KeyBank Center in Western New York — and the Sabres lost both of them.
After falling 3-2 in overtime to their cross-conference foes at home, netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen voiced his displeasure with the referees' decision in two crucial moments.
“I feel like that's bulls**t,” Luukkonen told reporters after the defeat. “There's no way I can make a save on that. I'm not that far out from the crease. It's a quick game, it's hard for the refs to make the right calls always, but I have no chance to make a save on that play.”
The Finn was referring to Winnipeg's opening goal on Thursday, when Jets forward Gabe Vilardi bumped his glove before tipping a point shot. The Sabres challenged the play for goalie interference, but it was unsuccessful.
The Sabres again got the short end of the stick late in the second period with the game tied 2-2, when Tyson Kozak thought he had scored his first NHL goal in his debut. But the Jets challenged successfully for goalie interference, keeping the score knotted.
Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry ended up calling game in overtime.
“Playing in my first game, it’s really cool and I’m super grateful,” Kozak said despite the loss, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel. “And to think I had scored in my first game is an unreal moment.”
Like his goalie, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff wasn't too pleased with having two separate challenges go against his team.
“You don't know unless you challenge. It's that kind of grey (area). You don't know. I thought, just the fact that he wasn't allowed to make the save, that's an interference penalty,” Ruff said of Vilardi's goal.
The head coach added: “The guy that went through was out of the crease. Does that mean the guy can run the goalie over if he's out of the crease? No. It's always a hit-and-miss situation.”
Goalie interference reviews have come under fire over the last few years in the NHL, with players, fans and executives all critical of the inconsistencies. Regardless, the Sabres remain mired in a brutal skid after dropping their fifth straight game on Thursday.
Sabres stuck in 5-game losing skid
Things were looking great in Buffalo at the end of last month; the club won seven times in nine tries between November 5-23. But things have gone off the rails since, with the Sabres losing each of their last five.
With that, it's back below .500 at 11-12-3, and two points back of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference for Ruff's squad.
Despite his anger with a couple of reviews, Luukkonen was happy with how the team in front of him performed overall.
“I think we played a good game tonight,” the goaltender said, per Engel. “That’s why it kind of stings so much. Defensively, we were really solid tonight. We didn’t give them much. We created enough chances to win the game, and I feel like we didn’t get what we wanted, but it was a good turnaround from last game.”
The Sabres will look to avoid a sixth straight loss when the Utah Hockey Club visit KeyBank Center for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
