Controversial goal-line kick decision becomes hot topic in hockey world

Strange things happen on the ice NHL, in the heat of the moment. They can be the product of pure chance or be deliberate orchestrations by the players. And if something appears to have been done on purpose, any appeal around that act becomes a very controversial topic. A similar thing happened with the Buffalo Sabers when they faced the New York Islanders.

The Buffalo Sabers are having a rough season, and it was made even tougher by a bizarre call they faced during a game against the New York Islanders. The Sabers suffered a loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena with a score of 3-2. While the loss itself was difficult, the circumstances in which it occurred made things even more difficult for the Sabres.

Controversial Islanders goal leaves Sabers in the dust

With 12:23 minutes remaining, Hudson Fasching of the New York Islanders scored a goal against the Buffalo Sabres. Two things are controversial in this situation. The first is the most obvious: the fact that Fasching played for the Sabers at one point before being traded to the Islanders. The second is the fact that the goal Fasching scored did not involve any connection of his stick with the puck.

In fact, it was his leg that did most of the work. It almost looked like the Islander intentionally threw the puck into the goal, which is, of course, a complete no-no. Hudson Fasching was standing to the right of Sabers goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen when his teammate, Josh Bailey, deflected the puck toward him. Fasching then lifted his left skate and extended his leg. The movement appeared to be a distinct kicking motion intended to redirect the puck.

The puck made contact with Fasching’s leg just below the knee, but did not contact the skate. After contact, it sailed into the net past a stunned Luukkonen. The goalkeeper immediately signaled that the goal should be disallowed. However, fate had other plans and the goal became the winning goal of the evening.

NHL referee’s decision overturned and controversy erupts

When the goal happened, referee Chris Rooney announced that it was a goalless goal. However, Toronto overturned the referee’s decision and awarded the goal to Fasching on the grounds that it did not hit his skate. The Buffalo Sabers were stunned, but they had to take their defeat with a grain of salt.

According to rule 78.5 of the NHL rulebook, “When the puck has been headed, hit or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick…if it is considered to have been done deliberately, then the decision will be NO GOAL. A goal cannot be scored when the puck has been deliberately hit with any part of the attacking player’s body into the net. However, the situation room responded that the rule did not apply as there appeared to be no deliberate movement on Fasching’s part.

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After watching the video, do you think Fasching knowingly threw the puck into the net or was it an accident? If it really was an accident, it was certainly lucky.