The Dallas Stars took a 2-1 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday night after a controversial goal gave them a late lead in Game 3.
Alexander Petrovic scored with 16:09 left in the game. However, the goal was not an easy one to call. NHL officials initiated a video review and watched the sequences for more than five minutes to determine whether Petrovic kicked the puck into the net.
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Eventually, the officials determined Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net. The goal gave Dallas a 3-2 lead at the time. The Stars won the game, 5-2.
Jets coach Scott Arniel took issue with the officials’ interpretation of the rule that allowed Petrovic.
“The rule states that if the puck gets kicked, if it hits a body or a stick of anybody else other than the goaltender, it counts as a goal. It hit our goaltender’s stick and went in the net. That is no goal,” Arniel said. “So they said that Helly propelled the puck in, and I haven’t seen the word propelled in the rulebook.”
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Stars coach Peter DeBoer said he was glad officials took the time to review the play to “get it right.”
The puck initially came off of a Mikko Rantanen shot. It ricocheted off Hellebuyck to his right and then off of Petrovic’s stake and back toward the net.
“I saw him kind of kick it, but I didn’t see a replay of it. … I thought it was 50-50 probably, but thank God they called it a goal,” Rantanen said.
Petrovic, who scored in the playoffs for the first time in nine years, called it a “lucky goal.”
NHL fans were not enthused and expressed it as much on X.
Rantanen scored 49 seconds after play resumed.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Dallas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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