Brodeur Cries Interference On Overtime Winner

This afternoon the New Jersey Devils took on the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the East semifinals. In a rivalry series like this, it sure did not disappoint as both teams battled hard enough to the point where 60 minutes wasn’t enough. There was never a two-goal lead in the contest and the longest lead any team held was for nearly 25 minutes during the Devils 1-0 lead from early in the first till the eight minute mark of the second period. If you left your seat to use the restroom around that time you missed the host Flyers quickly scoring twice to take a short 2-1 lead before the Devils tied it at two when Travis Zajac scored his fourth of the playoffs on the power play.

The teams exchanged goals in the third period (by Claude Giroux and Danny Briere respectively) before sudden death overtime occurred.  There was a little controversy early in overtime when Briere scored what could have been the game winner. It was overturned because replays shown he kicked the puck under the stick and blocker of New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur.

A couple minute later, Briere got a second chance to light the lamp when he fired a slap shot past Brodeur for the game winner and his seventh goal of the postseason in seven games. ”When you look at the replay, it’s kind of obvious,” Briere said of the reversal. ”But I needed to stop pouting and get back my focus in overtime. I ended up getting a break.” That’s the kind of thinking and mentality youth players need to take when an officials call goes against them.

Call it a legit beef or playing the political game to set himself up for a call his way in Game 2, Brodeur claimed to have been interfered with by James van Riemsdyk on the overtime winner according to Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. I think Brodeur needed to realize that replays shown here was a little bit of contact but nothing that were to have caused a goalie interference penalty. In addition, Brodeur was given a gift on the overturned goal minutes earlier. He should have made that save and there was no way the officials would have taken way two goals from the same player on the home team minutes apart. That’s exactly what he said to Jesse Spector of The Sporting News after the game. Check out the video and see for yourself as van Riemsdyk was outside the crease and it was Brodeur who first made contact as the puck was coming his way.

Game 2 will take place Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

 

3 Comments

  1. I’m no Brodeur fan, but that was interference. Your video does not have a clear angle. Use the following, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMkwEWWf9mM and see time 1:23 This was the overhead view I saw on NBC, but they only showed it once.
    Brodeur was in his crease, and the puck was not yet in the crease when van Riemsdyk made contact

    Crease or no crease, “unnecessary” contact with the goalie is forbidden, but that is moot as Brodeur is entitled to freedom of mobility within his crease. JvR feet out outside the crease, but he clearly hits Brodeur’s arm. That is a penalty even without a shot on goal.

    The ruling should have been no goal and a 2 minuted penalty for JVR.

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