Martin St-Louis just questioned Quinn Hughes after the Canadiens fell 2-1 in overtime to the Wild tonight.
The Montreal coach was asked about the slashing penalty called on Cole Caufield with 53 seconds left in regulation, and he made it clear he didn't like what he saw. Kirill Kaprizov then ended it 18 seconds into overtime.
Priyanta Emrith relayed St-Louis's answer, and the coach put the blame on the Wild defenseman's acting as much as on the whistle.
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St-Louis said he thought Hughes "sold it" and that Hughes "created the broken stick if you watch it." That's a coach saying the penalty shouldn't have been there, and saying who he thinks made it happen.
Hughes drew the call. The Canadiens' bench is not letting it go.
It's the kind of moment that stings more because of the timing. Montreal was minutes from taking a point out of a one-goal game against the team sitting first in the Central Division, and the Wild had been 12-3-4 before tonight.
The Canadiens came in 11-3-3 and second in the Atlantic, so every point matters in that race. A late penalty that leads straight to an overtime loss is a point Montreal won't get back.
This isn't the first time St-Louis has spoken about officiating lately. St-Louis's frustration over the Arber Xhekaj penalty came after the win in Toronto on Sunday.
Why the Caufield penalty will linger in Montreal
Two games, two public complaints about calls. The league office won't be moved by either, and the Canadiens know it.
Selling contact is part of how defensemen and forwards play at this level, and a coach is allowed to say so. But a broken stick in Hughes's hands is hard to argue away, and the referee made the call. St-Louis can make his case, yet the penalty stays on the sheet.
The better question for Montreal is how a game against Minnesota got to the final minute without a cushion. That's a conversation for the film room, not the press conference.
The Canadiens are in Boston on Thursday. The Wild are in Toronto the same night.
Quick hits
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: The Jackets lost 4-1 to the Panthers at Nationwide Arena, and Mark Scheig points to the offense and the pressure on the top players. Columbus needs its stars to answer.
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FLORIDA PANTHERS: Sam Reinhart's empty-net goal in Columbus was his 199th with the Panthers, second all-time in franchise history, according to David Dwork. Number 200 is around the corner.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Jakob Chychrun leveled Nick Cousins in the third period in Ottawa, and the hit is already stirring debate while the game was still going.
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OTTAWA SENATORS: Cousins was down on the ice after a violent collision late in the third period against the Capitals. The Senators will be waiting on word about him.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Jack Roslovic tied it 3-3 with a slick backhand, but the Leafs still lost 6-3 to the Avalanche. Another game slipped away.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Did Quinn Hughes sell the penalty on Cole Caufield?
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Jakob Chychrun's big hit on Nick Cousins sparks ugly scene in Ottawa
