The Calgary Flames thought they’d scored after Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson unexpectedly left the ice.  They were wrong.

Even Thompson’s teammates seemed puzzled.  He knew something they didn’t. The Vegas netminder vacated the crease because he knew a goal against wouldn’t count.

 

The Golden Knights’ net was dislodged on an earlier play.  Calgary’s Milan Lucic battled with Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud, ultimately bumping the net off its pegs.  Play continued, moving down to the Calgary end before the Flames recoverd the puck and resumed the attack.

The net, though, remained off.

Thompson realized it and started to head to the bench for an extra attacker. He wasn’t fast enough to gain an advantage and get a sixth man out there.  Even if he’d made it to the bench, it’s not clear his teammates knew what was happening.

The Flames saw the gaping net and fired the puck in. Referee Tom Chmielewski signaled a goal.

After review by the Situation Room, the NHL took it back.  This was a league-initiated review, not one that required a coach’s challenge from Vegas.

Rule 78 covers the position of the net.

Apparent goals shall be disallowed by the Referee … when the net becomes displaced accidentally. The goal frame is considered to be displaced if either or both goal pegs are no longer in their respective holes in the ice, or the net has come completely off one or both pegs, prior to or as the puck enters the goal.

Rule 63.7 addresses situations where a goal is awarded on a displaced net.

In order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the attacking player must have an imminent scoring opportunity prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts.

In this case, the net was not displaced immediately prior to the scoring chance. The officials also determined that the net was knocked off due to Lucic’s actions. Those two factors prevented a goal from being awarded on the play.

It was a rought night for the Flames in the video review room. Calgary had already seen one potential goal wiped out when it was determined that Andrew Mangiapane kicked the puck into the net.

The Vegas Golden Knights held on to win the game 3-2. Referees for the game were Chris Lee (#28) and Tom Chmielewski (#18); linesmen were Jesse Marquis (#86) and Caleb Apperson (#77).