TAMPA, Fla. — The Avalanche might have made NHL history Thursday night: The Avs won a game with a goal that never went in the net.
“I can’t say I’ve ever gotten a goal quite like that,” Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk said with something of a Cheshire cat grin after the Avs’ 2-1 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
As the Avs filed off the ice in jubilation, they had to dodge plastic water bottles and other debris being tossed from the angry fans at the St. Pete Times Forum.
File this Colorado win under “Stick-Gate.” Hejduk was awarded with what proved to be the game-winning shootout goal when officials enforced NHL rule No. 26-4 — ruling that Lightning goalie Mike Smith threw his stick at the puck. Replays seemed to indicate that Smith simply dropped it while moving left to right in anticipation of Hejduk’s backhander — after Smith had already partially blocked Hejduk’s initial move and shot.
But in a shootout, there is no video review allowed on such a play. Only plays where it is unclear if the puck crossed the goal-line are allowed to be reviewed on video in a shootout, and after referees Tim Peel and Brian Pochmara huddled with the two linesmen, the judgment was made: good goal.
When Andrew Raycroft gloved Martin St. Louis’ bid for the tying goal in the shootout, the game was over and the bottles started flying.
“I mean, I know it’s a fast game out there, but there are four refs on the ice — four, not one,” an irate Smith said. “I made the save, and then I had to drop the stick because my stick was gonna come up in the air. You can’t make that call at that point in the game. You can’t. The save was already made. It was after the fact that the stick went to the ice.”
If such a play had happened in regulation, Hejduk would have been awarded a penalty shot (and, coincidentally, Hejduk won a game for the Avs on a penalty shot in overtime in Tampa Bay in 2004). But in shootouts, it’s a goal.
“I definitely thought he could not just drop the stick like (that),” Hejduk said. “The stick was out of his hands, and the referee called it.”
Tell that to Lightning coach Rick Tocchet. The former Avs assistant said he was still trying to find out after the game who of the four officials made the final call.
“I couldn’t get an answer. I’m trying to talk to the league office to find out how the process works, so it doesn’t happen to another team,” Tocchet said. “If a guy makes a mistake, I can live with it. But I couldn’t get anybody to tell me who made the call. That’s the frustrating part. My phone’s been blowing up with NHL people that are friends of mine saying it’s a terrible call.”
Avs coach Tony Granato apparently wasn’t one of them.
“It’s a gutsy call, but it’s the right call,” he said.
After the game, NHL senior VP of hockey operations, Mike Murphy, issued a statement about the ruling that read, in part: “There was strong feeling (by the on-ice officials) that this stick was thrown. That play was not reviewable. I’ve asked the (officials) not to speak to anybody. There’s a hot environment down there right now, and I think it’s best that they not speak because I don’t want them getting trapped. That’s all.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Avs Recap
Three stars
1. Andrew Raycroft.
Avs goalie stopped 37-of-38 shots.
2. Milan Hejduk.
Winger was credited with a controversial shootout winner and assisted on Avs’ lone regulation goal.
3. Mike Smith.
It’s a game he’ll want to forget because of the shootout, but the Lightning goalie was outstanding.
What you might have missed
Raycroft improved his career record against the Lightning to 9-1-1.
Up next
At Florida, Sunday, 3 p.m.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
