The Dallas Stars took a 2-0 series lead on the Minnesota Wild in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with a 2-1 win Saturday night under controversial circumstances.
The Stars scored the game’s first goal at 3:54 of the second period when Wild defenceman Marco Scandella banked a pass attempt off Dallas forward Ales Hemsky‘s skate towards Antoine Roussel behind the Minnesota net. Roussel redirected the puck with his own skate, sending it up over the goal and onto goaltender Devan Dubnyk‘s back.
Dubnyk knocked the net slightly out of place in attempt to keep the puck out. He was unsuccessful and the play would head to review before officials declared it a good goal.
To say Dubnyk and the Wild were upset with the call would be an understatement.
The one-time Vezina Trophy finalist was asked if it was the puck being kicked or the net coming off its mooring that bothered him.
“Pick one,” Dubnyk said. “It’s what’s crazy. The ref made the right call on the ice and somehow they have enough to overturn it in Toronto. I’m not going to say anymore, it’s crazy to me.”
Dubnyk took further issue with what he believed was a kicking motion by Roussel.
“I just don’t know how it counts,” Dubnyk said. “It’s disappointing that that’s the call you get in a playoff hockey game. The puck’s kicked and somehow the ref waves it off and somehow they come up with evidence the puck was in the net.
“It shouldn’t even matter. That’s what blows my mind is it’s crazy how long they were looking at they’re looking at the replay…the puck’s kicked. That’s tough in playoffs. That’s disappointing.”
Here’s how the NHL explained the decision:
Video review determined that the puck crossed the Minnesota goal line in a legal fashion prior to the net being displaced. According to Rule 78.4 “The goal frame shall be considered in its proper position when at least a portion of the flexible peg(s) are still inside both the goal post and the hole in the ice”. Good goal Dallas.”
Nothing there regarding what Dubnyk perceived as a kicking motion by Roussel.
The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Monday.
