Tortorella: Worth taking a chance on 'inconsistent' goalie interference calls

John Tortorella likes to gamble.

The Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss issued his latest coach's challenge in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes, only to come up on the wrong side of the ruling.

Although it was ultimately ruled a good call, meaning Tortorella forfeited his team's time out, the challenge was still worth the roll of the dice.

"I'm taking a chance. I think there's an opportunity," Tortorella told George Richards of The Columbus Dispatch. "You never know what you're going to get there."

Midway through the final frame, Coyotes winger Brendan Perlini knocked a loose puck past netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. But with fellow forward Richard Panik knocked into Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets threw caution to the wind in hopes of getting a goaltender interference call upon review. Despite the challenge, however, the original call on the ice stood and it was ruled a good goal.

"The only consistency (on call reversals) is the inconsistency," Tortorella added. "As a coach, you have to understand that. I'm not trying to circumvent the rule, but knowing how inconsistent the calls have been, I'm taking a chance."

Tortorella isn't the only coach seemingly lost by how goaltender interference is decided. Maple Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock echoed similar comments Monday after Toronto had a goal reversed against the Colorado Avalanche.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets weren't the only team on the losing end of a goaltender inference ruling Thursday, as a controversial call also came in overtime between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

The 2017-18 campaign marks the second season in which the NHL has allowed coaches to challenge goals for goaltender interference.

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