The shootout feels like a lost art now in the NHL. The fast pace excitement and efficiency of 3-on-3 overtime has cut down on the amount of shootouts the league, meaning we get less opportunities to see players’ creativity shine.
Johnny Gaudreau’s controversial sideways shootout goal was a thing of beauty
But should it have counted?
On Tuesday, Johnny Gaudreau put together a strange, and somehow legal, sequence to help the Calgary Flames take the shootout lead against the Minnesota Wild.
In Gaudreau’s head-to-head against Alex Stalock, the forward pulled off a deke sequence that had him well to the outside of the net. Stalock was then helpless to protect his crease as Gaudreau lifted the puck up and over the goaltender’s head into the net.
There were questions as to whether Gaudreau’s shot was legal, as the puck must always be going forward in a shootout or penalty shot, as per Rule 24.2 in the NHL Rulebook.
The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent’s goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete. No goal can be scored on a rebound of any kind (an exception being the puck off the goal post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper and then directly into the goal), and any time the puck crosses the goal line or comes to a complete stop, the shot shall be considered complete.
You could argue the deke that sent Gaudreau around the side of the net was heading backwards, but it’s a subtle enough trick that most players get away with anyway in a shootout. Through the rest of the sequence however, while Gaudreau may be moving sideways, the puck is always moving forward.
Even still, the Wild won the shootout despite the complaints about Gaudreau’s wacky goal. The universe always evens everything out in the end.
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