It was creative and perhaps controversial.
Joe Pavelski scored the shootout winner to give the San Jose Sharks a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in a Pacific Division showdown, however the move he used stirred up the Twitterverse and apparently the Ducks, as well.
Pavelski came into the zone, then quickly slammed on the breaks at the hash marks, then continued forward and ripped a shot past Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller.
According to the NHL rulebook, under Rule 24 - Penalty Shot, “The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent’s goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete.”
Below is a video clip of the goal. Beneath that are the post-game comments of Ducks’ captain Ryan Getzlaf.
Getzlaf on Pavelski's shootout goal: "That’s the problem. Everything’s interpretation. I can’t even make a comment on it because I (1/2)
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) December 1, 2013
(more) don’t really know what the rule is. Whatever they think is the rule that night. (2/2)
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) December 1, 2013