Whistle muddles end of Columbus Blue Jackets' loss to Boston Bruins

At each end of their final back-to-back of the season, the Blue Jackets were on the wrong side of controversial officiating calls. More: Columbus Blue Jackets stumble against Boston Bruins. Replay The first, an overturned goal for goaltender interference April 11 in Montreal, didn’t impact the outcome of the Jackets’ 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

The second might've impacted how the Jackets’ gutting 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins ended April 12 at Nationwide Arena, but how much will never be known. That’s because NHL referees Gord Dwyer and Jon McIsaac declined to blow a play dead or restart it after Dwyer gave his whistle a short tweet before the final faceoff with 19 seconds left in the Bruins’ zone. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, standing nearby, thought the play was being stopped as Dwyer skated to the Boston bench to ask about using a timeout.

“He blew the whistle twice,” Werenski said. “Yeah, he did. That’s why I turned.

He’s a great ref and that’s not why we lose the game. I have nothing but respect for him, but I was very confused because, you know, you hear two whistles go behind you, the play stops. So, I look and he’s obviously talking to the (Bruins’) coach about a timeout.