Patrick Roy puzzled by goaltender interference rule again after Islanders failed challenge

One of the best goaltenders in the history of the sport is as mystified as everyone else — from casual fan on up — at the NHL’s enforcement of goaltender interference.“Maybe we should ask the question, what is goalie interference now?” Patrick Roy said after his Islanders beat the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.“It’s getting tougher and tougher for everyone.”What prompted Roy’s comments — not his first time questioning the inconsistently enforced rule this season — was a failed challenge on Patrik Laine’s third-period goal, when Juraj Slafkovsky impeded Ilya Sorokin from making a play on the puck.Sorokin was out of position anyway and may not have had a play to make.

But neither Roy nor Sorokin felt particularly satisfied by the goal being upheld.The goal, which pulled the Canadiens back to 3-2, had a major impact on getting the game into overtime — which in turn gave Montreal a crucial extra point in the standings despite losing.Had the Islanders hung on to win in regulation, they would be within one point of the last playoff spot in the East instead of two.“If I would’ve been in the net, I don’t think I would be very happy,” Roy said.“Ilya was in the crease.

There’s no way he could make a move to go on the side-to-side play.I guess we have a different view of what it should be.“I don’t think [the rule’s] very clear for anyone.

If it was clear, we would not have challenged.”Sorokin, who finished the night with 38 saves and an assist, said it was a 50/50 call.“I can’t move in this moment,” he said.“And when I ask ref, ‘What means interference,’ and they [explain], it’s hard to understand.”For much of overtime, Roy played two defenseman with one forward — a departure from the norm.“I thought that was the best way to create some offense,” he said.

“We didn’t put two defensive guys.They were two offensive defensemen [Noah Dobson and Tony DeAngelo] with Bo [Horvat] and we trust these guy...