Tarasov, as many know by now<\/a>, was not exactly happy with getting the stick of Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson in his glove as he was trying to make a save on a 55-fot slap shot from Beck Malenstyn that, really, was the play of the night.<\/p>\n Malenstyn\u2019s shot from the point came midway through the third in a 1-1 game.<\/p>\n Florida challenged the goal for goalie interference with video showing Samuelsson getting his stick in the glove of Tarasov while Malenstyn\u2019s shot was in flight.<\/p>\n The Sabres had a 2-1 lead, but Florida\u2019s Paul Maurice quickly challenged it.<\/p>\n It looked like Maurice, Tarasov, and the Panthers had a good point.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he made contact with the glove twice,\u2019\u2019 Maurice said afterward.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, that one was pretty easy. I didn\u2019t spend much time thinking about [challenging].\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n So, that goal is coming off the board, right?<\/p>\n The challenge did not go Florida\u2019s way.<\/p>\n Buffalo not only took the lead, but got a power-play chance in a hard-fought battle where goals were at a premium.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s backup goalie to Sergei Bobrovsky in 2023 was making stop after stop.<\/p>\n Alex Lyon was, again, terrific.<\/p>\n So was Bobrovsky\u2019s backup in 2026.<\/p>\n Tarasov played one of his best games for the Panthers on Friday, one which will likely be lost in the brutally honest postgame comments that Tarasov is more than likely going to get fined for.<\/p>\n When asked about the interference, Tarasov wondered aloud about who, exactly, reviewed the play.<\/p>\n It was, as it sounded like he knew already, the NHL\u2019s Situation Room in Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cWho did the call on this? Toronto?\u201d Tarasov asked.<\/p>\n Then the fun started.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are those guys smoking there?\u201d<\/p>\n Tarasov then implied the Toronto-based officials were a little biased against the Panthers since Florida beat the Maple Leafs the night before.<\/p>\n \u201cOr, they\u2019re disappointed for yesterday\u2019s [Leafs] loss? I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s hard to say,\u2019\u2019 Tarasov continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to play the puck and this guy drives into me and they said it was [sic] slightly contact which is allowed because he\u2019s trying to tip this puck? I can\u2019t even move a different way, reach for the puck.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo days ago, it was goalie interference when you touched the glove. It wasn\u2019t a goal.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Tarasov\u2019s fine is coming but is one which is capped by how much he makes ($1.05 million) as per the NHLPA\u2019s collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n He\u2019s probably going to get hit for a couple thousand bucks.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing:\u00a0Tarasov did not seem angry during his postgame comments. Just a little annoyed.<\/p>\n He just appeared to be riffing more than ripping.<\/p>\n Maurice, who is not protected by the NHLPA, could be fined for much more than his goalie almost certainly will be.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay\u2019s Jon Cooper, for instance, got a $25,000 haircut<\/a> for bringing up a bunch of AHLers to fight the Panthers in an October preseason game.<\/p>\n So, understandably, Maurice was being as diplomatic as possible when it came to talking about that specific call.<\/p>\n He has groceries to pay for, too.<\/p>\n \u201cThey felt it was more incidental,\u2019\u2019 Maurice said when asked what kind of explanation he got just minutes after Tarasov made his postgame comments.<\/p>\n Word of Tarasov\u2019s quotes got around fast.<\/p>\n \u201cI think [Tarasov] gave you the best answer. Just ride what he said.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The frustration for the Panthers was evident.<\/p>\n Florida is playing for its postseason life right now and Friday\u2019s game against the Sabres was razor close.<\/p>\n Tarasov was simply terrific and, at the end of the day, got nothing out of it.<\/p>\n It was a wasted night.<\/p>\n While Lyon \u2014 who helped the Panthers get into the playoffs in 2023<\/a> with his magical late-season run replacing Bobrovsky down the stretch \u2014 was fantastic, Tarasov matched him save for save.<\/p>\n Giving up the go-ahead goal on a call they felt should have gone their way made the loss feel even worse.<\/p>\n Tarasov, like many who watch the NHL on the regular, championed the idea that the NHL still has not figured out what goalie interference is.<\/p>\n The common thought is, flip a coin.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo days ago, it was goalie interference when you touched the glove,\u2019\u2019 Tarasov said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a goal.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Well, it was on Friday.<\/p>\n With the loss, the Panthers remained eight points back of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the East.<\/p>\n The Panthers only have 23 games left and Friday\u2019s hard-fought loss is one of about four they can afford to lose.<\/p>\n That is what made it frustrating for the Panthers.<\/p>\n Although they really did not play well enough to beat the Sabres, they did not play bad enough to lose.<\/p>\n None of that was on the shoulders of Tarasov.<\/p>\n The Panthers have a mountain to climb if they want to make the postseason and defend their Stanley Cup championship for a third straight year.<\/p>\n With so many games in such a short time, the Panthers are going to need Tarasov to come up big.<\/p>\n He did on Friday.<\/p>\n He will have to again this week with the Panthers kicking off a four-game road trip Sunday on Long Island. Florida is going to play four games in six days with a back-to-back in Columbus and Detroit coming at NHL Trade Deadline time.<\/p>\n \u201cTarry was great,\u2019\u2019 Maurice said. \u201cThe goaltending, and there were chances, I thought was world class tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have lots of hope when [Tarasov] is going in the net. From the start of the season to where he is now, he\u2019s making better improvements. He\u2019s going to have to win us some games for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n The Panthers need to go on a run and, well, a win against the Sabres (who have not made the playoffs in a record 14 straight seasons but are now in second in the Atlantic) would have \u00a0give the team a lift before boarding their flight to New York later this afternoon.<\/p>\n They will have to get over this one pretty quickly.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n ON DECK: GAME No. 60 When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
\nFLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhere: UBS Arena, Long Island
\nNational TV: ESPN
\nNational Streaming: ESPN+
\nRadio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
\nPanthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
\nLast Season: Panthers Won 2-1
\nThis Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) \u2014 At Islanders: Sunday; March 28. At Florida: Panthers 4, Islanders 1 (Dec. 2)<\/a>
\nAll-time Regular Season Series:<\/a> Panthers lead 60-35-11, 8 ties
\nNext Up for the Panthers: Tuesday at New Jersey Devils, 7 (TNT\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Get-FHN.png\")
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