Maurice holds back criticism after OT loss: I'm not giving NHL any money

Paul Maurice didn't agree with the league's decision to uphold the Minnesota Wild's overtime winner Saturday, but the Winnipeg Jets head coach clearly didn't want to risk being fined for criticizing the officiating.

"It's goalie interference all day long for me and there's not a lot of gray area on that one, but I'm not giving them any money. Not one dime," Maurice told reporters following the 3-2 overtime loss.

Eric Staal potted the decisive marker in the extra frame as teammate Zach Parise appeared to make contact with Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

It was ruled a goal on the ice, then reviewed and upheld, with the NHL later stating that Jets defensemen Anthony Bitetto and Tucker Poolman caused Parise to make contact with Hellebuyck prior to the goal.

"The decision was made in accordance with Note 2 of Rule 38.11 (ii), which states, in part, that the goal should be allowed because 'the attacking player was pushed, shoved, or fouled by the defending player causing the attacking player to come into contact with the goalkeeper,'" the league explained.

Maurice also disagreed with an earlier no-call, namely Wild forward Kevin Fiala's hit from behind on Jets blue-liner Josh Morrissey along the boards. However, the Winnipeg bench boss kept his answer even shorter when asked about that incident.

"Yup," was all he uttered in response to a question about whether the officials should have called a penalty.

When prompted about whether he can turn any anger from this game into something, Maurice again suggested he didn't want to give the league a reason to fine him.

"We'll deal with the things that we can get better at and try to improve on those," he said. "That's all I've got, I mean. anything else is going to get expensive, fellas. (Let's) call it a day."

The Jets earned a point Saturday but dropped their seventh game in their last nine.

Maurice's comments come less than a week after Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella was fined $20,000 - as well as a conditional $25,000 for a future offense - for a tirade directed at officials.