For a must-win Game 5 with their season on the line, the Florida Panthers got off to a rough start.
What did not help, however, was that a goal from Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Nicolas Hague seemingly crossed the line after the whistle.
So, why did it count?
According to the NHL, the play was ruled valid as a result of the Continuous Play rule (Rule 37), which states that a goal may be awarded, even after a whistle is blown, "if the puck entered the net as the culmination of a continuous play, where the result of the original shot was unaffected by any whistle blown by the referee upon losing sight of the puck."
In the case of Hague's goal, the league ruled that following his original shot, the puck would have crossed the goal line regardless of the whistle being blown and was therefore determined to be a continuous play.
The Golden Knights currently lead the Panthers 4-1 in the second period and can win their first Stanley Cup with a victory in Game 5. Catch all the remaining action on Sportsnet and SN NOW.
