New Jersey Devils: Analyzing All Three Disallowed Goals

Second Goal: Tomas Tatar’s goal reviewed for goaltender interference

This one looks really obvious ON THE SURFACE. This is a goal New Jersey Devils fans would want to be overturned if it happened to them. Matt Murray was basically face-down on the ice when the shot went off. That being said, whose fault is it that Murray was in that position? Let’s take a closer look.

Ignore the commentary from the Leafs fan in the tweet. Tatar races around the net and collides with Murray. However, it’s a pretty straight line Tatar is going in while Murray is changing direction. For this one, let’s go back to the rule book.

"Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact."

So now we must determine what a “reasonable effort” means. Did Tatar make a reasonable effort to avoid Murray when he didn’t plow him behind the net and skate up the ice? Did Toronto expect him to stop on a dime? Was Tatar trying to impede Murray’s route back to his net?

Listen, this one hurts because, by the letter of the law, it should be a goal, but the eye test has to prevail sometimes. Tatar’s mistake was the movement of his arm into Murray after he ran into him. This might be a goal if he kept skating and acted as if nothing had happened. However, he made the arm movement that might have extended Murray’s inability to get back to the goal. We go no goal on this one.