One of NHL referees most important jobs is to keep the players on the ice safe. However, there is just sometimes where the rules call for situations where referees need to let the teams play. Last night was one of those occasions but instead of allowing the play develop, the referee blew the play dead immediately.
Late in the first period, with the Bruins in control of the puck a play occurred which left fans scratching their head. As the Bruins player fires a hard shot on goal, the shot strikes Florida Panthers goalie Sergie Bobrovsky up high. The shot clearly stings the goaltender but it was obvious it struck him in the shoulder.
The rebound comes out perfectly and lands on a Boston stick for what would have been a perfect scoring opportunity. Instead of following the rulebook and letting the play play out, the referee immediately blew the whistle to check on Bobrovsky.
Luckily for the referee, the puck did not go into the net, but the whistle derailed a Boston offensive zone possession. Bobrovsky was unharmed on the play and remained in the game. The Bruins went on to win this game 2-1, sending the series back to Boston for game 6.
