{"id":126926,"date":"2026-03-01T20:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T20:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/126926\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T20:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T20:18:13","slug":"what-is-goalie-interference-muse-bewildered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/126926\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Goalie Interference?! Muse Bewildered"},"content":{"rendered":"

What exactly is goaltender interference? The Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> are not only 0-for-6 on challenges, but Saturday, they had one taken away on a gooey soft call that was the hockey equivalent of the goodness inside an Atloona-made Mallow Cup. And it cost them dearly. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Penguins needed the goal taken away as they lost to the New York Rangers<\/a> 3-2 in a shootout Saturday at Madison Square Garden. <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m not sure what to make of it anymore,\u201d Penguins coach Dan Muse said. <\/p>\n

It was not that Anthony Mantha<\/a> and New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin didn\u2019t ever so slightly tangle at the wrong moment, but it was more about consistency. The Penguins were on the wrong side of another goalie interference challenge as New York had a Bryan Rust goal overturned in the first few minutes of the game, and the call proved to be crucial in the loss. <\/p>\n

The Penguins were dominating and the Rangers were flat. Perhaps flat would have been a compliment. They were lifeless, and the goal would have been the Penguins\u2019 second within the first few minutes of the game, likely sending the Penguins on a run and New York on a tailspin. <\/p>\n

The Penguins eventually got a 2-0 lead, but the Penguins were denied the additional early goal in what likely would have been a fatal dagger. <\/p>\n

And it all came apart later as the Penguins needed to hang on for an extra time point. . <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we got away from what was working the first period for us. I thought we did a good job in terms of supporting pucks. When we\u2019re doing that, we\u2019re getting out of the zone; we were ending up in the offensive zone. I thought we extended the time in the offensive zone. I thought we did a good job in terms of our gaps, tracking back,\u201d Muse said. \u201cAnd we got away from what was working. And I thought a lot of those elements, I just said that worked well in the first period, they weren\u2019t there in the second and third. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so that\u2019s on us. There\u2019s going to be momentum swings in the game. We just didn\u2019t react the (right) way \u2026 So it\u2019s can\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

In fairness, the game did go to a shootout, where the Penguins are now 1-8 this season. Goalie Stuart Skinner<\/a> stopped two of three, but in what has been a too frequent occurence in the situation, the Penguins failed to score. <\/p>\n

However, a shootout is a shootout. It\u2019s not hockey. It\u2019s a separate competition to end the game and has little resemblance to the game itself. Having lost eight of nine shootouts, it is fairly definitive that the Penguins stink at them, but that has no bearing on their viability as a team. <\/p>\n

Equally bad is the Penguins\u2019 record with challenges. Not only are they 0-for-6, but they even lose ones that seem much less than goals they\u2019ve had taken away (See also: Rickard Rakell<\/a> being called for GI this season, despite not being in the crease and making great effort to avoid the goalie before a contacting defenseman\u2019s stick hit the goalie). <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it feels like whenever something like that does happen to us, it\u2019s called a goal, and we\u2019re back in the (penalty) box,\u201d Skinner said. \u201cBut I mean, when things like that happen, it always comes back, and you get favor later on. So if that works our way in the playoffs, then, I mean, we\u2019ll take that over a regular season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penguins Analysis<\/p>\n

Beyond the goalie interference nonsense, the Penguins were great. And then\u2026terrible for most of the final 40 minutes. Actually, they didn\u2019t deserve a point, but Skinner made a bevy of beauts. <\/p>\n

The first period was the best of the Penguins, even without injured captain Sidney Crosby. <\/p>\n

Pittsburgh native and gold-medal winner Vincent Trocheck delivered another Penguins power play early in the first period due to Abuse of Officials. Conversely, the Penguins could have been penalized for abuse of a corpse.<\/p>\n

The Rangers were a zombified blue-clad version of themselves, watching the Penguins escape the zone with easy breakout passes and available stretch passes, which kept the possession on the Penguins\u2019 sticks and in the Rangers\u2019 zone.<\/p>\n

Their attacks focused on the strong side, then evolved to precision passing and skill passes that made the Rangers spectators. <\/p>\n

However, the Penguins did not take advantage of their significant 10-2 shot advantage, goaltender interference notwithstanding. <\/p>\n

And the second period devolved quickly after Ryan Shea was twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom from a defender near the blue line. Shea earned his fourth goal of the year at 1:59 of the second period, and it appeared the Penguins were firmly in control of the afternoon tilt. <\/p>\n

But then it was the Penguins\u2019 nap time, and those easy breakouts became passes that were too cute, scrambly defensive zone coverage, and the Rangers suddenly controlled play. <\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, yeah, when we lead, 2-0, you know, we start playing a little bit too cute,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cBut they have a good team. They play hard. I mean, they play physical, and Igor (Shesterkin) played well, you know, it\u2019s like we have a chance to win and\u2013that goal. Why is it interference? Sometimes it\u2019s interference. Sometimes not. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not understanding the rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Penguins did just enough to survive with sticks in lanes, good defensive body position, and battles to hamper moments when the Rangers were threatening, but rarely did they thrive.<\/p>\n

In a nod to both the Penguins\u2019 puck possession through the first 25 minutes and their struggles thereafter, the team had just seven hits after the second period. By comparison, Connor Clifton had seven hits Thursday. <\/p>\n

No Penguins player had more than two hits Saturday. <\/p>\n

Penguins Report Card<\/p>\n

Team: D<\/p>\n

They avoided an F with a good first period. Their breakouts were good and generated speed. They were holding onto pucks and pressuring the Rangers\u2019 defense around the net. And then, they were sloppy wreck with passes through traffic, trying one too many passes, and not playing with aggression. <\/p>\n

Best Performances<\/p>\n

Stuart Skinner: A<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the reason we got a point,\u201d said an angry Muse. Skinner said he felt out of sorts for the first part of the game, but had his legs back by midway through the second. He made a few dandies, especially in the third period. <\/p>\n

He also allowed only one shootout goal. That\u2019s a solid performance because two out of three ain\u2019t bad. (Skinner only faced two shooters)<\/p>\n

Evgeni Malkin: B+<\/p>\n

A few too many errant passes and a couple shots passed up. Otherwise, he was by far the best Penguins forward. By far. <\/p>\n

Malkin charged the net in overtime. He created pressure during his shifts in the third period, but the Penguins were badly on their heels and failed to sustain the offensive attack, thus forcing Malkin to start his shifts in the defensive zone and limiting his time in the fun zone. <\/p>\n

Needs Improvement<\/p>\n

Top Line: D<\/p>\n

With Rickard Rakell at center, the line had a couple of good shifts early. Avery Hayes chased pucks like a hungry dog (that\u2019s a good thing), but the line again failed to generate consistent offensive pressure. <\/p>\n

Girard-Letang<\/p>\n

It\u2019s early for the pairing, but they are confirming the worries that they\u2019re poorly matched. Kris Letang had a mere 23% Corsi Saturday, the worst of all of the defensemen. The second worst was Girard at 33%.<\/p>\n

The pair significantly lagged behind their peers. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Penguins Analysis<\/a> penguins goaltender interference<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> <\/p>\n

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