Home / News / Garnet Hathaway’s cosmic bad luck: Forward’s empty-net miss turns into Panthers’ game-tying goal after puck deflects off arm

Garnet Hathaway’s cosmic bad luck: Forward’s empty-net miss turns into Panthers’ game-tying goal after puck deflects off arm

By Ian Oland

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May 10, 2022 2:30 pm

The Washington Capitals held a 2-1 lead late in the third period of Game Four despite being out-shot 32-16 and out-attempted at five-on-five 49-27. If they could close out the game, the Capitals would take an improbable and unbelievable 3-1 series lead over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers.

That didn’t happen. Instead, cosmic bad luck found Garnet Hathaway, who was one of Washington’s best players on the evening.

With the Capitals up a goal, Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette aggressively pulled Sergei Bobrovsky with 3:09 remaining in the third period as Florida had an offensive zone faceoff in the Caps zone. Florida won the draw. Aaron Ekblad sent a pass to Claude Giroux for a one-timer from the left point… but it was blocked by Nicklas Backstrom!

Hathaway picked up the loose puck and immediately fired a shot towards Florida’s empty net. And then this happened.

Hathaway’s shot, which looked perfectly on-line on television, either hit the left goalpost or the goal frame behind it, causing an icing. He missed out on an empty-net goal by inches. Hockey Gods, why must you smite us!

Literally, a minute later, the Panthers tied it up. A Jonathan Huberdeau pass was defended well by Marcus Johansson and deflected. The puck then struck Hathaway’s arm and bounced right to Sam Reinhart in the slot who fired the puck home.

The Panthers would complete the stunning comeback when Carter Verhaeghe scored early in overtime.

The Capitals were that close to a 3-1 series lead. Instead, their first-round matchup with the Panthers is now a best of three with two of the games in Sunrise, Florida.

“We had an opportunity to win it. Didn’t go our way,” Peter Laviolette said. “It was (there for the taking), but we’ve got to play better.”

This is why playoff hockey is thrilling and anxiety-ridden and makes your heart feel like it’s about to explode out of your chest. No matter how good or bad your team plays or how perfectly they execute, games can hinge on one play and be decided by inches. The what-might-have-been scenarios can drive you crazy.

But that’s what makes winning it all and finally breaking through so beautiful.

Anyways, see you on Wednesday for Game Five. Please be nicer, Hockey Gods.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

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