Controversial no-goal call helps Leafs escape with two points
A day after a chaotic game against the Ottawa Senators, the Florida Panthers visited the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, looking to collect another two points. It appeared the Panthers did just that when Evan Rodrigues beat Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll in the fifth round of the shootout.
The Panthers celebrated and most of the Leafs began to head to the dressing room before being told to stay on the ice. Woll and Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe were already in the room as the NHL was reviewing Rodrigues' shootout winning goal. The goal was being reviewed to determine whether the "attempt entered the Toronto net in legal fashion" After a fairly quick review, it was determined that Rodrigues "double tapped" the puck and that the puck crossed the goal line on a rebound resulting in no goal.
Chaos ensued as fans who were leaving ran back to their seats and Woll, who already had his gloves and mask off, was ushered back out onto the ice. The Leafs wasted no time resuming the shootout as Keefe immediately sent Noah Gregor out to shoot. Gregor scored from almost the exact same spot he had beaten Panthers goaltender Anthony Stolarz earlier in the game and Woll would then stop Nick Cousins on his attempt and secure the extra point for the Leafs.
The controversial no-goal call led to a hilarious sound bite from former Leafs head coach and current Panthers head coach Paul Maurice following the game.
It was a very important extra point for the Leafs who were coming off a pair of losses over the weekend as the point kept them in the top wildcard spot, tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Yes, there is still lots of hockey to go, but another loss would have been tremendously concerning.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 29 | 553 ANSWERS Controversial no-goal call helps Leafs escape with two points Did the NHL get the call correct on Rodrigues' goal? | ||
| Yes, clearly hit the puck twice | 482 | 87.2 % |
| No, I didn't see a double-tap | 71 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
