BOSTON - Bruins coach Claude Julien gave the on-ice officials a thumbs-up Saturday.
"I have no complaints about the refereeing in this series," he said ahead of Game 5. "I think they've done a wonderful job in letting both teams play. And at the end of the night, for the most part, the better team's won."
Julien seemed to think differently in Game 2, when he was assessed a bench minor for "abusive language" in a night that saw 15 penalties called, including nine against his team.
Told that Julien thought the officials were doing a wonderful job, Montreal coach Michel Therrien roared with laughter.
"I'm sure he said that," he added between chuckles.
Asked for his thoughts on the officials, Therrien smiled and said: "They're doing a great job."
The last two games of the series produced just five penalties in total. Games 1 had seven penalties.
The second-round playoff series was tied 2-2 after four games.