After his club’s overtime loss Saturday night, Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban was left wondering if a game-changing penalty against him late in the third period was motivated by the ref’s personal feelings toward him.

“I think I’ve always been pretty positive with my reaction to (refereeing) and respecting the game and respecting decisions that have made,” Subban told reporters. “It’s not too many times after a game I catch myself laughing after we lose, because with 18 seconds left I'd like to get an explanation of what I did wrong there. I thought Carey (Price) had the puck there, I thought the play was over.

“It just didn’t really make sense to me. Other than that it seems like it’s personal to me. It has nothing to do with the game. Based on the standard of penalties, I don't see a penalty there at all.”

Tied 3-3 with the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre, Subban checked Erik Condra in front of Habs goalie Price with the blueliner’s stick making incidental contact.

Subban was called for a hooking penalty with 18.4 seconds left in regulation. Clarke MacArthur scored the overtime game-winner less than a minute into overtime.

Asked what he meant by it being “personal,” Subban was coy.

“If it doesn't make sense on the ice, if it doesn’t make sense as a penalty, then what else is it?”