Montgomery Faced Difficulty in Coaches' Challenge Against Crosby

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Dorin Canaday
April 1, 2023 (10:06 PM)

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During the Boston and Pittsburgh game on Saturday, which featured various highlights, Jim Montgomery experienced his first unsuccessful challenge of the season.

Nonetheless, the Bruins head coach mentioned in the postgame that he was quite reluctant to use his only Coaches' Challenge due to a significant reason.

Are the 'Sid Rules' Real?

For over 15 seasons, Sidney Crosby has been among the NHL's top players. Montgomery believes that, similar to Michael Jordan in the NBA, the Penguins' captain often receives favorable calls due to his stardom.

Matt Porter from The Boston Globe inquired about their certainty regarding the challenge, and the Bruins' head coach provided an extensive response:

''We thought it was goalie interference because Swayman was hit in the head. Now, you know how there used to be the Jordan Rules (in the NBA)? I've been here (in Pittsburgh) now five times, and something I'm almost sure that's going to happen - didn't happen tonight: They're going to get a 2 on 1 in the first minute, because we're going to make a mistake; they're going to get a 5 on 3, and you're going to be killing a lot of penalties. This is the third time I've been here where we challenge - you get it wrong sometimes. I call it the Sid Rules. He's a great player. He's a great player. And you know what, the league should take care of their superstars. That's why I was kind of hesitant about challenging it.''

Despite the unsuccessful challenge, Boston managed to fend off the resulting penalty, and David Pastrnak later scored his hat-trick goal, which became the game-winner.

See the complete quote below: