PHILADELPHIA — If Henrik Lundqvist hadn’t made a glove save on Jakub Voracek’s breakaway after coming off the bench in the first period during a teammate’s match penalty, the goal wouldn’t have counted because the officials erred.
The controversy arose after Wayne Simmonds received a match penalty and was ejected at 10:36 for decking Ryan McDonagh with a sucker punch, a blow that stunned the Rangers captain, who left the game for precautionary reasons.
“When it’s a match penalty, the referees are supposed to automatically tell the coach to put somebody in [the penalty box], which they forgot,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after the game.