Controversy erupted during the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers game after two bizarre sequences left fans and analysts bewildered. In the second period, Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki appeared to score a goal, but after a lengthy review, the play was overturned due to an obscure interpretation of goalie interference.

Replays showed a subtle brush between Suzuki and Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, leading to heated debates over whether contact was incidental or rule-breaking. Fans voiced their frustration on social media, with many claiming the decision negatively impacted the momentum of the game.

Tensions escalated further in the third period when Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau inexplicably received a five-minute major penalty for high-sticking—despite appearing to make clean contact with the puck. Video replay showed conflicting angles, with some arguing it was a harsh call, while others insisted it was justified.

The sequence led to a heated exchange between the benches, with players from both teams voicing their displeasure. The Canadiens capitalized on the power play, but the controversy surrounding the calls continued to dominate discussions. As the final buzzer sounded, debate raged on about the consistency of NHL rule enforcement, with many calling for clearer guidelines to avoid similar situations in the future.

The officiating has been rather, let’s say, questionable in the most recent games of the Montreal Canadiens. Last night’s game was no exception, and there were two particular sequences that caught attention.

First, this completely phantom penalty called on Emil Heineman, which could have seriously hurt the team.

As journalist Arpon Basu rightly pointed out, Heineman was literally penalized for standing still without moving.

This is one of the worst penalties I’ve seen in a while, especially considering that Sam Bennett wasn’t even penalized on the following sequence, one that directly led to a Panthers goal.

“Bennett’s interference on Matheson is as clear as day, no call even though it directly led to a goal for Florida.”

Matt Drake

It’s really bizarre to see that one of these sequences was penalized while the other was not.

And we’re not even talking about the disallowed goal for Alex Newhook here.

Several questionable referee calls in the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers

In any case, Martin St-Louis’ squad still came away with a huge 3-1 victory, but let’s really hope the officiating improves because it could have been costly for the Habs, especially last night.

In the win, Patrik Laine, Cole Caufield, and Christian Dvorak scored, while Samuel Montembeault was once again incredible, stopping 21 of the 22 shots fired at him.

Are you seriously starting to believe in the playoffs as early as this season, especially knowing that Kaiden Guhle could surprisingly return as reinforcements soon?