Washington’s 3-2 shootout win over the New York Rangers was a mixed affair. The Ovechkin line struggled as depth players shined. And in net for New York, Alexandar Georgiev put forth a remarkable effort to force overtime and the shootout.
And that’s when it got weird. This was one of the strangest endings to a Caps game in memory.
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The Caps and Rangers were even through three rounds, then Braden Holtby stopped Filip Chytil in his attempt in the fourth.
So the game was in the hand of Alex Ovechkin and Georgiev, who had stopped Ovi six times already on Sunday.
Ovechkin skated up to the crease, tantalizing Georgiev for a stick check. Georgiev went for it, but he didn’t hold onto his stick.
Here’s another look.
Ovechkin’s opportunity to score is lost.
The refs huddle and call it a no goal.
Except Ovechkin knows full well that’s a mistake. By throwing his stick — deliberately or not — Georgiev committed a penalty.
From 25.4 in the NHL rulebook:
Infractions – During the Course of a Penalty Shot – A goal will be awarded when a goalkeeper attempts to stop a penalty shot by throwing his stick or any other object at the player taking the shot or by dislodging the goal (either deliberately or accidentally) (see Rule 63.6).
So it should have been an automatic goal, Ovechkin protested. Caps coach Todd Reirden joined in, but it didn’t matter
…until the war room in Toronto called the ice.
After a short review, the officials made the call. It’s a goal, the winning goal. The game was over.
Ovechkin taunted Georgiev and embraced his teammates.
Hockey: where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.
