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PHOTO: Canadiens get away with too many men on the ice on Bourque goal

Eric Bolte / USA TODAY Sports

In the second period of Saturday afternoon's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, the Canadiens scored a goal to narrow New York's two-goal lead to one. 

Rene Bourque scored the goal from Lars Eller and Brian Gionta, but the goal wouldn't have been possible without a critical touch to keep the play alive by Josh Gorges - who had just stepped off of the Canadiens' bench. 

The problem with Gorges touch? The player he was replacing hadn't quite arrived at the bench yet:

[Courtesy: CBC]

Here's what NHL rulebook says about rule 74 (Too Many Men on the Ice):

If in the course of making a substitution, either the player entering the game or the player  retiring from the ice surface plays the puck with his stick, skates or hands or who checks or makes any physical contact with an opposing player while either the player entering the game or the retiring player is actually on the ice, then the infraction of “too many men on the ice” will be called.

The Rangers answered Montreal's goal with two of their own before the expiry of the second period, so no harm no foul. Clearly this play should have been blown dead, and the Rangers should have received a power-play opportunity.

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