Not How They Drew It Up

I was watching the Florida-Carolina game tonight, and I was scrolling through social media when I caught word that something rather unusual happened in Minnesota. The Wild were hosting the Capitals in tonight's action at the XCel Energy Center when the Capitals did something we rarely see. The irony is that I've already witnessed this in person this season as the Manitoba Bisons pulled off this rare feat, but the Capitals can add their names to the teams who have committed to this type of goal.

With the Minnesota due to get a penalty, Capitals netminder headed to the bench for the extra attacker on the delayed penalty call. As the Capitals worked the puck around the offensive zone, Carl Hagelin looked to feed the puck back to the point. This was the result.
That goal cut Washington's lead to 2-1, so Zach Fucale technically won't be credited with the shutout assuming that he finishes the game making all the necessary saves. How unfair is that statistic considering that Fucale set the NHL record for the longest streak without allowing a goal to start an NHL career, erasing Matt Hackett's mark of 102:48 set in 2011 with the Minnesota Wild? Does that streak continue even though he won't get credit for the shutout?

I'm glad that I'm not the official statskeeper for the NHL who has to determine this. My heart says that the streak would continue regardless of shutout-worthy scores, so we'll see how the NHL rules on this statistic moving forward. After all, Fucale didn't surrender the goal - he was on the bench!

That goal became even bigger when you consider that Matt Dumba, with Kaapo Kahkonen on the bench, scored late in the game to tie it up at 2-2 to break Fucale's streak and send the game to overtime. I can't imagine what Carl Hagelin must have felt after seeing that puck slide all the way down the ice, but his goal was credited to Marcus Foligno at 13:55 of the second period for his 14th goal of the season, and I'm not sure that Foligno will ever get another goal quite like that. It only got worse when you consider that Dumba tied the game!

This one would need a shootout to decide a victor, and both Kevin Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau would score for Minnesota Wild to give them the 3-2 shootout victory! Fiala, who had been benched after a dreadful second period, made it count when he was given the chance, so perhaps his stay in Dean Evason's doghouse won't be long.

At the end of the night, though, Carl Hagelin's own goal really came back to bite Washington in the rear as Fucale suffers the shootout loss despite only giving up one goal. I'm pretty sure that's not how the Capitals drew this game up.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!