Reviewed goal irks Jets, helps Stars win Game 3

DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel believes the game-winning goal should not have counted in their 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 on Sunday night that put them down 2-1 in their Western Conference playoff series.

“That is no goal,” Arniel said.

It took eight minutes for the on-ice officials and the NHL Situation Room to allow Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic‘s third-period tiebreaking goal, which he directed toward the net with his skate. Referee Graham Skilliter announced that “after video review, the Winnipeg goalie puts the puck into his own net after a kick” and that it was a “good goal.”

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had saved the puck directly to Petrovic, who angled it off his skate toward the crease 3:51 into the period. The puck appeared to be headed through the Winnipeg goal crease when Hellebuyck put his stick on the ice, the puck deflecting off the blade and into the net.

The NHL Situation Room signaled to the on-ice officials that it was reviewing the play.

“The Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine if Alexander Petrovic kicked the puck into the Winnipeg net. Video was then used to determine if the puck made contact with Petrovic’s stick prior to it entering the net,” the NHL said in a statement. “After looking at all available replays, video review supported the Referee’s call on the ice that Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.”

The NHL rulebook defines a distinct kicking motion, for the purposes of video review, as a play in which an attacking player “has deliberately propelled the puck with a kick of his foot or skate and the puck subsequently enters the net.” A player can direct a puck into the net with his skate as long as he doesn’t kick it.”

With the referee announcing that Petrovic kicked the puck, the fact that it deflected off Hellebuyck’s stick into the net made the review complicated because of a carveout for goalies in the kicked-puck rule. Rule 49 states that “a kicked puck that deflects off the stick of any player (excluding the goalkeeper’s stick) shall be ruled a good goal.”

Based on that rule, and what the on-ice officials told him about the play, Arniel believes the goal should not have counted.

“The rule states that if a puck gets kicked, it hits a body or a stick of anybody else other than a goaltender, it counts as a goal. It hit our goaltender’s stick and went in the net. That is no goal. So, they said that Helly propelled the puck in. I haven’t seen the word ‘propel’ in the rulebook,” Arniel said.

Dallas coach Pete DeBoer disagreed with Arniel’s assessment. “I believe the rule reads that if [Hellebuyck is] making a play on the puck, that it’s a goal. So, that’s the difference. Does it just deflect it off him or is he trying to make a play with the puck? I think they got it right,” he said.

Rule 78.4 states that “a goal shall be scored if the puck is shot into the goal by a player of the defending side. The player of the attacking side who last touched the puck shall be credited with the goal but no assist shall be awarded. A goal shall be scored if the puck is put into the goal in any other manner by a player of the defending side.”

So, perhaps the interpretation that Hellebuyck played the puck into his own goal after the kick — rather than having it deflect off his stick and in — is the determining factor for it being allowed in Game 3.

Petrovic’s goal sparked the Dallas offense. Mikko Rantanen scored 49 seconds later, his playoff-leading ninth, to make it 4-2.

Winnipeg players were frustrated by the decision.

“Obviously, a big momentum-changer. They were able to get that one and they scored on the next shift there,” winger Kyle Connor said. “Obviously, momentum swings happen in a game, and we try to turn more of them into our favor. But they were able to gain chances off that.”

“I would have liked to see it come off the board, obviously,” forward Morgan Barron said.

The Jets face a critical Game 4 in Dallas on Tuesday. It’s also a critical game for Hellebuyck, who dropped to 0-4 on the road in the playoffs and has lost eight of his past nine road games in the postseason.

Dallas took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Roope Hintz just 2:27 into the game, a deflection that fluttered past Hellebuyck. The Stars took the lead again with less than five minutes remaining in the first and the score tied 1-1. Mikael Granlund was tripped behind the Winnipeg net, resulting in a delayed penalty. While on the ice, Granlund sent a pass to the slot that defenseman Thomas Harley snapped behind Hellebuyck to make it 2-1.

Hellebuyck, who had a shutout win in Game 2, has a .772 save percentage and a 6.65 goals-against average on the road in this postseason. The winner of the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender last season, he’s a finalist for that award again this year as well as the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP.

“We’re going to be judged, not just Connor, by what happens on the road,” Arniel said. “We’ve got to win. They came into our building and took home ice away from us. We’ve got to win here. And so everything that we have is going to be pushed into Game 4 here to get this thing evened up going back into our building.”