Boston Bruins: Why are we always the ‘challenge’ victims?

Boston Bruins season so far has been truly splendid. They have been able to deal with any kind of difficulty unless it’s a video review challenge. That’s been the toughest opponent for the Bruins so far this season.

Last night, playing in Montreal against the Canadiens, celebrating Zdeno Chara‘s 1500th NHL game, the Bruins had a tough start. The first period was to forget. However, the Boston Bruins managed to bounce back and even it up at four at the beginning of the third period. Then, a go-ahead goal came. The offside challenge spoiled it, once again, for Boston.

The goal taken off the scoreboard by Charlie Coyle had a monstrous impact on the game. It seemed like the Bruins gained a lot of energy from the Sean Kuraly´s tally to tie it up. They continued the pressure until Coyle put the Bruins ahead.

There is no problem in the world when there is a player a foot ahead inside the offensive zone before the puck enters it. But when there is an inch of space between the player and the crossing puck, it has no impact whatsoever on the play.

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Yet, the Bruins already had two potential game-winners taken off because of that as those games turned out to be regulation losses for the Boston Bruins.

Their only two regulation losses in the season. So, what´s truly wrong with this offside challenge? There is an argument of Coyle having possession of the puck as he carried it into the zone. This argument is a bit of a flip of the coin one.

Then, there is more obvious and logical reasoning of how does that inch affect the result of the play?

By no means. Carey Price got beat by the fifth time on the night, facing some 20 shots on goal. Instead, he got bailed out by an offside challenge.

A quiet night for both goaltender, Tuukka Rask and Price, as well. The Bruins started the third period flying out there on the ice. They drew a call, followed by an unsuccessful power play, where Torey Krug‘s shot deflected off the pipe.

The fourth line carried the momentum with Kuraly sneaking one in past Habs’ goalie. The Bruins saw their two previous game-tying goals being responded by the Canadiens’ surges leading to their go-ahead goals. This time around, the Bruins seemed relentless as they drew another blood.

Firstly, the Canadiens had like 30 seconds before deciding to take a challenge. If the NHL does not want to abandon this challenge, at least set the thresholds for when can the team eventually request it. Secondly, the challenge itself took a lot of time. Afterward, the Bruins just couldn’t continue their momentum.

If this is an offside and the League wants to call it that way, call it in 30 seconds, and the teams can continue where they stopped. By this long delay, the Canadiens did not only manage to tie the contest, again, they excellently halted the Bruins’ momentum.

This is unquestionably not something that makes this League better and more offensive.