December 14, 2023: The Minnesota Wild defeated the Calgary Flames thanks to a controversial shootout goal from Mats Zuccarello after a poke check from Dan Vladar.
The league ruled that Vladar’s poke check did not create a rebound, as there was no initial shot. Vladar’s stick hit the puck as Zuccarello was moving it laterally, not during a shot attempt. As a result, the puck was still live, and the goal was allowed.
“I thought I hit it with my paddle,” Vladar said after the game. “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.”
He’s not wrong. He did hit it. It just wasn’t a shot on goal.
More on the play – and Rule 24.2, which governs this play – at Scouting the Refs: https://scoutingtherefs.com/2023/12/42767/wild-win-after-zuccarellos-controversial-shootout-goal/
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4 Comments
Clearly a double hit. Refs blew another one. When will they begin to be fined for their errors? This cost a team the game. The fine should be equivalent to 1/82 of the teams gross revenue for for the past season.
Good goal. The flames goalie didn’t touch the puck first so there was no rebound.
Good goal. Not a double tap since there was only one shot placed. Dekes and poke checks don't count as a double tap.
Goaltender interference, leg stopped pad from moving