Video: Controversial goal that may have saved Blackhawks’ season
Early in the second period Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues, the Chicago Blackhawks found themselves down 2-0 in a game in which a win would give them a bit of breathing room, for the moment, for one of the final spots in the Western Conference.
Minutes later, Marian Hossa scored his 24th goal of the year to begin the Chicago comeback as the Blackhawks edged the Blues 4-3 on a Jonathan Toews overtime winner.
While Hossa's goal gave Chicago life, should it have even counted?
That's what referee Dan O'Halloran, who called it a goal on the ice, as well as the War Room in Toronto, believed.
Here's the video, and let us know if you can you find evidence that 1) the puck completely crossed the line and 2) Hossa touched the puck with his stick after kicking it.
After all that, we have to answer "no" to both of those questions and wonder what exactly the O'Halloran and the War Room saw.
Blues broadcaster Darren Pang heard from the War Room and was told that they could not find indisputable evidence to overturn O'Halloran's goal call on the ice and they felt that Hossa did indeed touch the puck after it went off his skate.
Rule 49.2 states that goals are allowed if a player kicks the puck and it deflects off their own stick and into the net, but what evidence is there to suggest Hossa even touched the puck with his stick?
It was definitely a kicking motion by Hossa, but it's tough to tell if Hossa touched the puck. Does the puck move slightly from his stick or from the rebound off the post? Very hard to tell.
A tough break for the Blues, but a tougher break for the Calgary Flames.
Chicago's win, along with Anaheim's 6-2 victory Wednesday night against San Jose kills the Flames' playoff chances and leaves just the Dallas Stars in the hunt for one of the final spots in the West along with the Blackhawks and Ducks.
