Calgary Flames Lose After Shootout Controversy

With the score tied at 2-2 after 65 minutes, Thursday’s face-off between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild required a shootout to decide which team would take home two points. Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich scored on a laser of a shot on the Flames first attempt.

The Minnesota Wild’s first shooter? Things got weird.

As Norweigan forward Mats Zuccarello made his way past Daniel Vladar, the Calgary goaltender appeared to have touched the puck. Second attempts at shots aren’t allowed according to the NHL Rulebook, but there are exceptions.

Rule 24: The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent’s goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete.

No goal can be scored on a rebound of any kind (an exception being the puck off the goal post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper and then directly into the goal), and any time the puck crosses the goal line or comes to a complete stop, the shot shall be considered complete.

The NHL’s Situation Room reviewed the play and, citing Rule 24, allowed the goal.

Flames netminder Daniel Vladar appeared confused about the situation after the game.

“I thought I hit it with my paddle. I thought I hit it. At that moment, I was pretty confident that I hit it. It went back to him and went off his shin pads. Obviously, the guys with the cameras, they see better than I do.”

The shootout eventually concluded a standard three rounds, and had the goal been disallowed, Sharangovich’s goal would have served as the shootout winner. Minnesota forward Matthew Boldy later scored the winner in the fourth round.