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The bananas history surrounding Conor Sheary’s empty-net goal against Columbus

By Ian Oland

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March 18, 2022 6:30 pm

Usually, it’s Alex Ovechkin making history. But Thursday, Conor Sheary made some of his own.

The Capitals’ Short King scored an empty-net goal with 12:39 remaining in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

According to SportsRadar and via an NBC Sports Washington article, Sheary’s uncontested goal was “the second-earliest empty netter scored in a third period in NHL history.”

Via NBCSWSH:

The only third-period empty netter scored earlier was in 1979, when the New York Islanders lit the lamp in such fashion against the Colorado Rockies just 4:50 into the final frame.

Upon further research, the record holder is actually a goaltender: Hockey Hall of Famer Billy Smith.

The Islanders goaltender “scored” the first goalie goal in NHL history in the Isles’ 7-4 loss to the Rockies on November 28, 1979.

The Rockies pulled a “Carl Hagelin” and passed it into their own net during a delayed penalty call. Smith was the last Islanders player to touch the puck.

So Sheary’s empty netter was the earliest scored by a skater ever in the third period.

Coming into last night’s game, the Columbus Blue Jackets sat in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, 11 points behind the Capitals for the second wildcard spot. With a victory, the Blue Jackets would have narrowed Washington’s lead to nine. Hence why they were so aggressive to get back in the game down 5-2 in the third period.

Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen further explained his rationale postgame to pull Elvis Merzlikins with so much time left.

We need this game. We’re down 5-2. Down three. You pull the goalie, they can’t ice the puck (because it’s 4-on-4). Our power play was zipping it around pretty good. That pretty much summed up the night there. We get it. Zach Werenski falls down and they get a breakaway and go down and score. I just shook my head. This was a must-win. We’re 11 back from these guys. If we can claw our way back in and find a way to win this game… you’re grasping at straws. It’s a strange game. We’re playing well. And I liked how our power play was moving the puck so I thought why not, let’s go for it. There are 12 minutes left. It’s a big advantage when they can’t ice the puck. That was the thought.

The Blue Jackets also had two own goals earlier in the evening, including Dean Kukan passing the puck directly into his own net.

“It was not our night,” Larsen said. “I’m a realist. In a 7-2 game, normally you’re thinking, ‘Wow that was a disaster.’ Our guys gave it tonight. It was a strange game.”

Indeed.

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