There aren’t a lot of more disheartening ways to go down 3-0 in a series than the way the Hurricanes did Monday — a 1-0 loss to the Panthers in which they outshot Florida 32-17.
Sergei Bobrovsky would not be denied the shutout, but the Hurricanes weren’t upset about missed opportunities of their own design after the game. Instead, coach Rod Brind’Amour turned his sights to the officiating, which called the Hurricanes for five penalties to the Panthers’ three, including the one that led to Sam Reinhart’s game-winning goal.
That was Brady Skjei’s slashing penalty, but that wasn’t the only call Brind’Amour took issue with.
“It’s tough for me. I could go on all day on that,” Brind’Amour said, per ESPN. “We got [called for] three knickknack penalties on sticks to the hand.”
Brind’Amour specifically, however, took issue with a play stoppage late in the third period that waved off a Marc Staal goal. Brind’Amour thought the Hurricanes were going to get a penalty for a high-stick on Reinhart, but the goal was instead disallowed and no penalty was assessed.
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“Especially when they stop the play (after Reinhart’s high-stick). I don’t understand that. You stop it because you saw a high stick. Why are you stopping the play then? I don’t know. No explanation, just move on.”
Brind’Amour also didn’t mince words about where he thought the teams stand after three games.
“How are you not frustrated?” he asked, rhetorically. “There’s times when you lose and you’re frustrated because you got beat, but it feels like we’re losing but we’re not really getting beat, and that’s where it gets frustrating.”
The Hurricanes coach is not shy about criticizing NHL officiating. He complained about officials after the Hurricanes lost 4-3 to the Bruins last month, telling reporters “It’s hard when you feel like they’re just tossing them a goal.”
Brind’Amour has also been fined in the past for chirping at officials in-game and criticizing them postgame in the playoffs when said the league is a “joke” and called the officiating “a crime scene.”
The Hurricanes will try to extend their season Wednesday in Florida, as they try to avoid the sweep. Perhaps Brind’Amour’s pleas will be heard by NHL officials there.