Morning sports update: How the Bruins reacted to the ‘unacceptable’ missed slashing call in Game 2
Terry Rozier scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum added 28 more for the Celtics in Boston’s 117-101 win over the 76ers in Game 1. Brayden Point assisted on Tampa Bay’s first three goals and scored an empty-netter of his own for the Lightning in their 4-2 win over the Bruins in Game 2. And the Red Sox beat the Royals 10-6 to finish the month of April with their most wins ever.
How the Bruins reacted to the ‘unacceptable’ missed slashing call in Game 2
With 3 minutes, 57 seconds left in Game 2, moments after the Bruins closed the deficit to 3-2, Brad Marchand broke through the Tampa Bay defense and had nothing but free ice and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in front of him. Anton Stralman, the Lightning defender chasing behind, brought his stick down on Marchand’s hands to knock the puck away. The Bruins forward immediately looked for a whistle, but the call never came.
“That’s kind of play that they called earlier in the game. They called that all year — a slash up around the hands, I mean, that’s automatic. It’s a penalty shot let alone a penalty,” said Marchand, per the Boston Globe. “So, tough one there, but I mean, we had some chances on the power play and we have to capitalize.”
Brad Marchand looks for a call on Stralman during a breakaway but doesn’t get one. pic.twitter.com/r5jGSDEQxT
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) May 1, 2018
The earlier play he was referring to was a slashing penalty called on Torey Krug in the first period. Yanni Gourde scored the game’s first goal on the resulting Lightning’s power play.
After the game, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said his team was “on the wrong side of three or four calls that impacted the game.”
Especially the Marchand no-call.
“Obviously,” he said. “He slashed him right on the hands. I just think it’s unacceptable to miss that call — it’s a hit on the hands. It’s one thing if it’s a judgment call on the stick but on the hands is usually automatic. So that was disappointing.”
On the post-game show, NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick agreed with Boston’s assesment of the officiating.
“We hate to harp on the refs sometimes, but tonight, they deserve to get harped on,” Roenick said. “How could none of these be called at the most crucial part of a hockey game, in the playoffs?”
3 takeaways from the Celtics’ decisive Game 1 win against the 76ers: The Philadelphia 76ers probably should have won Game 1, playing against a team that had no Jaylen Brown and a day of rest. But the resilient Celtics used the three-ball and the rookie to pull away in the series opener.
“I never felt we were in the game,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters after the game. “I never really felt it was a game.” (Boston.com)
3 takeaways from the Bruins’ loss to the Lightning in Game 2: Tuukka Rask misplayed Tyler Johnson’s go-ahead goal, but made 27 saves for the Bruins on Monday night. It was not enough to overcome Boston’s turnovers and missed chances, and the series heads back to the TD Garden tied at one win apiece. (Boston.com)
5 things to know about Ryan Izzo, the Patriots’ newest tight end: New England’s seventh-round pick will compete for the right to back up Rob Gronkowski, and it won’t be Izzo’s first time playing with a team legend ahead of him on the depth chart. The blocking tight end, who was preparing to go undrafted when the call came, was involved in an incident that led to this headline: “Aguayo, Izzo not charged with killing of fraternity’s turtle.” (Boston.com)
Daily highlight:
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/991135443512119296
