Zachary Bolduc and Martin St-Louis faced more complaints about the referees after their Game 3 against Buffalo.
The biggest issue was when Bolduc got a double minor penalty close to Alex Lyon. During that moment, it didn’t look like Bolduc hit in a way that would usually cause such a serious penalty.
This one issue would have been enough to cause some trouble. However, it turned into a bigger deal because Eric Engels shared what referee Kyle Rehman allegedly said before things went down.
Engels reported that Rehman told Lyon he would ensure his safety. Shortly after, Bolduc received a penalty for going into the goalie area, even though the replay didn’t clearly show him hitting the Sabres’ goalie.
That part really stands out. Coaches and players in hockey know that goalies typically get more protection from referees. But when it seems like a penalty was decided in advance, it brings up more questions.
And those questions make sense in this playoff series. The Canadiens and Sabres are playing a very tight match, so one iffy call can completely change the game’s dynamics.
Bolduc became a symbol of this frustration because the penalty didn’t just pause the game. It also gave Buffalo a power play for something that Montreal thought should have been handled differently.
Referee Kyle Rehman told Alex Lyon he would look out for him just before that situation. Then he sent Bolduc to the penalty box for coming into Lyon’s crease, even when Bolduc didn’t actually make contact, and added an extra penalty for roughing. That’s why the Sabres got a power play from all of this.
The bigger worry is about how consistent the refereeing is, not just one bad call.
That is where the irritation with this call really originates. Fans and teams can handle an occasional wrong decision. What truly frustrates them is when similar situations are judged very differently at different times.
That was the feeling after this game. A iffy call involving Bolduc got a lot of attention, but a much worse crash with Jakub Dobes later didn’t lead to the same penalties.
This inconsistency in how decisions are made looks really poor for the league. It’s not that anyone expects every single call to go their way, but it feels like the rules aren’t applied equally.
When the rules seem to change often, players can get confused about what is allowed. This creates a tough situation for any playoff matches.
St-Louis now has to handle more than just the game itself. He needs to keep his team focused while they sense that the rules about hitting the goalie keep shifting.
The NHL might not appreciate the criticism, but it has brought this upon itself. If the news about Rehman’s remarks is true, then the league has issues with its appearance and a trust problem right behind it.
That’s why people continue to discuss the Bolduc call. It wasn’t just viewed as a bad penalty by Montreal; it has also become another reason why the officiating in this series is part of the discussion.
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