HERSHEY, PA — A dramatic scene unfolded at Giant Center after Rutger McGroarty‘s overtime game-winning goal on Tuesday night.
Rutger McGroarty’s OTGWG
McGroarty gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 4-3 victory 5:03 into sudden death, deflecting a shot past Bears goaltender Clay Stevenson off the back bar and out.
“The puck went in the net,” McGroarty said to the press afterward. “Yeah.”
But it’s what happened next that caused a meltdown for many fans in attendance. Giant Center showed replays of the OTGWG on the jumbotron, which appeared inconclusive as to whether the puck crossed the goal line. One replay in particular, aired several times, from a camera installed on top of the glass behind the goal, seemed to show that the puck did not cross the goal line at all because Stevenson’s Gatorade bottle blocked the view of the puck hitting the back bar.
Hershey fans stayed in their seats and began booing loudly. Fans sitting on the glass behind Stevenson’s goal could be seen slamming and rocking the glass hard. Others in the arena pointed at the jumbotron, seemingly insisting that the officials review the goal as Penguins players celebrated, feeling as if their favorite team had been robbed. All the while, angry fans began throwing debris onto the playing surface.
“Fans, please refrain from throwing any objects out onto the ice,” the Hershey PA announcer said several times.
Bears fans protest McGroarty goal, throw things onto the ice
Ultimately, the officials, who did appear to miss an obvious slashing penalty that would have negated Avery Hayes’ game-tying goal in the third period, did not go to video review, skating off the ice and in a hurry as Bears fans voiced their displeasure.
The voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, seemed confused about how the officials handled the overtime winner, choosing not to review and confirm the goal, which would have settled and calmed down a confused crowd.
Later, on social media, the AHL posted an overhead replay of the goal that was not presented at Giant Center, clearly showing the puck crossed the goal line.
The league added the caption “btw”, seemingly in response to Bears fans who were upset.
The Penguins now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and can close things out at Giant Center on Thursday night.
