File this one under “things rarely seen in the NHL.”
Brad Marchand hopped over the boards needing to score to force a sixth round of the shootout against the Flyers. As he began his attempt he did not pick up the puck cleanly as his stick grazed the puck, moving it forward slightly.
That was enough to count as his attempt, meaning it was a failed try and a win for the Flyers.
As Rule 24 states, “The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent’s goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete.” Had Marchand whiffed he would have been able to retry his attempt.
Even Gritty got in on the fun.
Just barely licked it.
— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) January 14, 2020
https://t.co/KKjBN2f3K4
The Flyers were down 5-2 midway through the second period before scoring twice in a span of 1:34 to cut the deficit to one goal. Travis Sanheim tied the game with 6:02 left in the third period to force overtime and the eventual shootout.
Marchand’s flub was just another memory to forget in the Bruins’ miserable battle against the shootout, which they’re now 0-7 in this season.
“It’s unfortunate,” Marchand said afterward. “Tough way to lose on a play like that but we’ve got to do better when we have the lead. We’ve got to do a better job of that [Tuesday vs. Columbus].”
————
Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.