NHL should re-examine the rule that led to Jaden Schwartz goal

The Winnipeg Jets lost in heartbreaking fashion in a late-game loss to the St. Louis Blues. The tying goal was controversial and might warrant a look and possible change at the NHL rule book.

For most of Thursday night, it looked like the Winnipeg Jets had firm control of the fifth game of their opening round matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues. The Jets entered the third period with a 2-0 lead and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck working on a shutout before St. Louis rallied and things changed.

The Blues scored three goals in the third, including the game-winner from Jaden Schwartz with 15 seconds remaining, to skate off with a 3-2 victory and a matching 3-2 series lead.

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Immediately prior to the Schwartz game-winner was the controversial tying goal that came courtesy of Brayden Schenn. Just as Schenn’s goal was crossing the goal line, the net behind Hellebuyck was in the process of being dislodged.

The ruling on the ice was confirmed by the NHL’s situation room in Toronto stated the goal was good. Their explanation was the breakaway pegs that hold the net in place were dislodged while Schenn was in the motion of shooting the puck.

After watching multiple angles in slow motion, here’s a replay for those of you who haven’t seen it, the referees made the right call while following the rule of law.

This becomes yet the latest example of an obscure NHL rule put on full display during the playoffs, with all the commentary and ways on why it should be changed.

First off, those breakaway pegs are in place more for player safety than anything else. It allows the net to give into force in the event a player skates into the goal post, thus preventing further injury. Imagine skating full force and full speed into a metal goal post set firm into the ice like concrete? Sounds painful, thankfully the hard plastic pegs prevent that.

No one is arguing against the breakaway pegs, but merely when play should be stopped or discontinued when they begin to be tested to the point of dislodging the net. Look at the footage from Thursday night, and it’s clear the net was not in its full position when the puck crossed the line, as it was in the middle of being knocked off.

If you’re a goaltender in that situation, one could argue that the net being knocked off its normal position could affect play and make it difficult to make a save. Watch the replay from the game again and it’s clear the net, while still on its pegs, was not stationed in its usual position when the puck crossed the line. On the contrary, saying that “when the pegs are dislodged” is a clear rule for when refs should and shouldn’t stop play.

Here’s a proposal for a new rule – one that’s halfway between the current rule on the books and the much broader version Winnipeg Jets wished existed to disallow that second goal. Play will only be stopped by the refs is the goals is removed from its moorings (as per the current rule). However, if the net is significantly moved from its intended position (the cross-bar is not parallel to the goal line) a goal can be disallowed.

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In all likely hood, Thursday night’s occurrence will most likely be a rare one, as “mid goal post moving goals” don’t happen much. But the next time it happens in a place where every goal counts as much as it did in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the referees and the situation room should have a clearer. Now the once cup contender, and now seemingly slumping, Jets are facing elimination.

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