Was Tuukka Rask interfered with on Toronto’s game-winning goal?

If you’ve been paying attention, goalie interference has been one of the biggest issues league-wide this season. Good calls, bad calls...the only consistent thing has been inconsistency.

Tonight, that inconsistency possibly cost the Boston Bruins a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The play:

As you can see from the videos, Zach Hyman pushes Charlie McAvoy into Tuukka Rask, knocking him out of position. Rask is able to get back to his skates and get to the top of the crease as Hainsey’s shot goes in.

You could argue that since Rask was able to get back to his feet, it wasn’t interference. However, it’s impossible to think Rask’s timing and positioning weren’t thrown off by that contact.

It’s highly unlikely that Rask doesn’t save a non-tipped point shot if he’s square and set.

After a long review, the refs determined there was no goalie interference, and the Bruins wound up losing, 4-3.

From the rule book:

Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease

And more:

If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.

What do you think?

EDIT (10:23 PM): We’ve got some post-game thoughts from the players and coach.

Here’s Bruce Cassidy’s thoughts with Jack and Brick:

And from the players: