The Minnesota Wild scored an overtime winner that never even went into the net.
Predators goaltender moved to his left to stop a shot from Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprisov. As he did, he bumped the post, knocking the peg out of the ice and dislodging the goal cage.
Marcus Johansson collected the puck in the crease, shooting it off the now-displaced net, before backhanding his rebound over the goal line.
At that point, both Annunen and the net were well out of position. Referee Trevor Hanson signaled a goal on the ice, and the officials headed over to confirm the call with the league.
After a brief review, the NHL’s Situation Room agreed with the call on the ice, citing Rule 63.7:
In the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the referee may award a goal.
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.
The decision checks all the boxes. Annunen knocked the net off, and it doesn’t matter whether it was intentional or not. Johansson obviously had a scoring opportunity, which is more than just the initial shot; had the puck gone into the corner, the scoring chance would’ve ended. The puck also entered the net through the normal position of the goalposts.
Nonetheless, Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette disagreed with the ruling.
“The explanation was it was a goal. I disagree with his opinion, but that’s the way it is,” he said, possibly unaware that it was the Situation Room, not the ref, who made the ultimate decision.
Brunette also felt that Annunen didn’t intentionally knock the net off. Remember, intent doesnt matter here; the call is the same if it’s accidental, and there’s no disputing the net was off.
“No, I don’t think just by the physics of pushing, I don’t think that was what he was trying to do,” he said.
“I thought they’d miss the net. If the net didn’t dislodge, it wouldn’t have ended up being in the net. Unfortunately, they didn’t see it the same way and you move on.”
Brunette’s correct that the initial shot doesn’t end up back on Johansson’s stick if the net is in its normal position, but that doesn’t matter. The outside of the net is still in play, and it’s still an imminent scoring chance.
Preds forward Michael McCarron was equally confused.
“The net clearly comes off. I don’t know how the ref can stand there with a straight face and call it a goal, and then they call Toronto, and they still decide to call it a goal,” McCarron said. “I mean, I’m dumbfounded. I feel like we got screwed tonight. I don’t know how they can call that a goal, really.”
Because of Rule 63.7. That’s how. Correct call.
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Nahville Predators 3-2 in overtime. Referees for the game were Furman South (#13) and Trevor Hanson (#14), with Kilian McNamara (#93) and Brandon Gawryletz (#64) working the lines.
