Islanders' Kyle Palmieri has late go-ahead goal waved off, club falls in shootout for controversial loss to Blue Jackets
Kyle Palmieri #21 of the Islanders argues with referee Michael Markovic after his goal during the final seconds of the third period was waved off due to goaltender interference at UBS Arena on Monday, Mar. 24, 2025 in Elmont. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Islanders were livid, and not willing or able to keep silent to avoid potential fines from the NHL.
And it was not blowing a two-goal lead in the first period and a one-goal lead in the third in Monday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena that drew their intense ire.
It was Kyle Palmieri’s apparent winner with 9.6 seconds left in regulation being immediately waved off by referee Michael Markovic for goalie interference, a call that stood after being challenged and reviewed for a long time.
Palmieri bumped Elvis Merzlikins before defenseman Alexander Romanov’s shot came in from the point but was well clear of the blue paint when he deflected the puck past the goalie.
“I think it was [expletive] embarrassing,” said Palmieri, who had given the Islanders a 2-0 lead from the slot at 18:41 of the first period. “I couldn’t disagree more with the call. He said there was contact initiated in the crease and I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot. It looked like he couldn’t wait to wave it off.”
The Islanders (32-28-10), who got 27 saves from Ilya Sorokin, still moved within one point of the Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot (Montreal has played one fewer game). The Blue Jackets (32-29-9) moved within one point of the Islanders by snapping an 0-5-1 skid as Merzlikins stopped 30 shots.
Adam Fantilli scored the only goal in the shootout. Anthony Duclair, Palmieri and Bo Horvat could not convert for the Islanders.
“We should have won that game,” coach Patrick Roy said. “In my mind, we won the game.”
Roy said neither Markovic nor fellow referee Wes McCauley came over to him with an explanation on the call against Palmieri, which was reviewed by NHL officials in Toronto.
“Palmieri was out of the crease and we tipped it in and I think their goalie pushed him away at the same time,” Roy said. “If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referees, we don’t need Toronto.”
“That was, hands down, one of the worst no-goal calls I think I’ve ever seen,” Horvat said. “It’s so frustrating, especially this time of the year.
“We shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position in the first place. But they say they want more goals in the league. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand what’s a goal and what’s not anymore. That’s the frustrating part. There’s no black or white. He still had plenty of time to make that save. To me, that’s a goal all day long on the ice.”
The Islanders actually had Anders Lee’s deflection of defenseman Mike Reilly’s shot, which gave them a 3-2 lead with 46.6 seconds left in the second period, withstand the Blue Jackets’ challenge for goalie interference.
Kirill Marchenko’s blast from the top of the right circle tied it at 3 at 12:56 of the third period.
In the second period, the Blue Jackets pulled even as Fantilli beat Sorokin over his glove at 5:31 and Boone Jenner notched a shorthanded goal at 17:13.
The Islanders, who opened the scoring on Pierre Engvall’s goal at 13:16 of the first period, were a disorganized 0-for-3 on the power play, including two in the second period.
“We put ourselves in that position to be tied late,” Palmieri said. “Whether or not it’s fair, it doesn’t matter. That decision was out of our hands.”
Notes & quotes: Adam Boqvist, normally a defenseman, had two assists in 15:27 skating as the third-line right wing with Hudson Fasching unavailable because of sickness . . . Roy gave an impassioned and unprompted pregame defense of the Islanders’ penalty kill. “It bothers me when people say our PK stinks,” Roy said, his voice rising. “Our PK doesn’t stink. Since Jan. 1, we’re eighth in the league in penalty kill at 81%, and 81% is pretty good.” The Islanders were 53-for-83 (63.9%) on the penalty kill through their first 38 games, but after going 1-for-1 against the Blue Jackets, they are 58-for-71 (81.7%) since Jan. 1 . . . Forward Matt Martin and defensemen Scott Mayfield and Scott Perunovich remained healthy scratches . . . Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson rejoined the lineup after missing 66 games with a shoulder injury and top-line center Sean Monahan returned after a 28-game absence for an upper-body injury.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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