The Golden Knights thought they'd extended a perfect start to their first Stanley Cup playoff run. Instead, Vegas experienced its first taste of the bitter nature of postseason overtime, where a single call or penalty has the power to shift an entire game and series.
Logan Couture's power-play goal 5:13 into the second overtime in Saturday's Game 2 gave the Sharks a much-needed 4-3 win to even their second-round playoff series at one game apiece. It's the first time the NHL's storybook expansion franchise has lost in the playoffs, six games into its postseason history. That Golden Knights were a questionable overturned goal away from improving to 6-0 will make the loss all the more difficult to swallow.
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Double-OT. Money shot by @Logancouture. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/TFiXZga4qK
— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2018
With 3:02 remaining in the first overtime, the Golden Knights' Jonathan Marchessault appeared to score the game-winner on a rebound in front of Martin Jones. As Vegas burst into a frenzied celebration, the on-ice officials gathered for a conference to look at the replay. Marchessault had been behind the net just before Shea Theodore released his shot from the point, and it appeared the Knights winger had clipped Jones' stick while skating to move into the shooting lane.
All three angles of the Marchessault no goal call. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/gpTgI1HoMP
— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) April 29, 2018
A review from the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto determined Marchessault's contact with Jones "prevented him from his job" and thus met the standard for goalie interference. The call on the ice was overturned. There was some partisan outcry from Golden Knights fans, but the call was mild in terms of controversy, save for its potential to determine the outcome. Contact with Jones was clear. The debate centered on the point of contact and Marchessault's relation to the crease.
"I’m trying to get to the net. He’s in his crease, but I’m not even in his crease, too," Marchessault told reporters after the loss. "He’s advancing his blocker toward me. Like, I’m there already. I’m going through and working for position in front of the net. The puck hits me, so he doesn’t even make the save."
Such is life in the NHL's gray world of goal reviews.
The Golden Knights also may have been able to gripe about Brent Burns' second-period goal, which was allowed to stand following Gerard Gallant's coach's challenge. Sharks forward Timo Meier bumped into Marc-Andre Fleury while Burns wrapped around behind the net, but the NHL determined Meier had been pushed by Vegas' Colin Miller.
Couture's eventual winner, his second goal of the game, came after the Golden Knights got into more penalty trouble to start the second overtime, bringing their game total to 11 — a new franchise record. Theodore was called for high-sticking Mikkel Boedker 1:35 in and Jon Merrill took a hooking penalty that led to the fateful power play.
If nothing else, Vegas caught a case of hard luck. Sometimes, calls simply go the other way.
