Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has been fined $25,000 for “public comments critical of the officiating” following the Bruins’ 5-4 loss to the Islanders in Game 5 of the second round of the playoffs on Monday night.
After the game, Cassidy called out the officiating — which he felt was one-sided in the Islanders’ favor — referring to the Isles as the “New York Saints.”
“I think they sell a narrative over there where it’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders,” he said. “They play hard, they play the right way. I feel we’re the same way. And the calls — the exact calls — that are getting called on us, do not get called on them. And I don’t know why.
“These are very good officials. They’re at this point in the season for a reason. You’ve got continuous high sticks every game, the exact same high sticks. … Maybe we need to sell them more, flop. But that’s just not us. You just hope they would see them.”
The Islanders and Bruins play Game 6 on Wednesday on Long Island, when the Isles will have a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.