DENVER — Lane Lambert has refrained from criticizing officiating for most of his tenure as Islanders head coach.
That trend disappeared on Tuesday.
“I thought it was Mike Riley's.” [interference] The call was terrible,” Lambert said after Colorado lost 5-4 in overtime to the Avalanche, who tied the game 4-4 on a power play after the call on Riley. “What more can I say? They called them.
“That's how it is.”
Lambert is expected to get a call from Ninth Avenue on Wednesday, but has likely decided the fine is worth the trouble.
Riley was called for interfering with Andrew Cogliano in the neutral zone at 10:47 of the third period, with six seconds left on the Islanders' power play and the Islanders holding a 4-3 lead.
There was also an element of luck in Valeri Nichushkin's final power-play goal.
Cale Makar's stick broke while trying to shoot from the point, but the puck went to Nathan MacKinnon in the post, setting up Nichushkin for an easy tap-in from the low slot.
Colorado went 4-for-3 in overtime after an additional penalty against the Islanders (this one by Scott Mayfield for holding at the end of regulation), and MacKinnon made it to win in overtime. I got it.
Robert Bortuzzo also left the game with an apparent right leg injury after taking a blow against the wall from Samuel Girard at 15:41 of the second game.
There was no update on Lambert's status.
Pierre Engvall returned to action along with Matt Martin after suffering a healthy injury Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Sebastian Aho was healthy for the first time since early last season, and Bortuzzo returned to the team.
