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 Official explains why goal counts
Posted: Tuesday June 22, 1999 07:47 PM
BUFFALO, N.Y. (CNN/SI) -- No time is good for a goal controversy. But the sixth and final game of the Stanley Cup finals -- well into triple overtime -- is one of the worst. The NHL's official response: This one counts because the player had full control of the puck. Brett Hull scored to give Dallas a 2-1 victory in triple overtime and the Stanley Cup championship, but the Buffalo Sabres claimed it was an illegal goal because Hull had his skate in the crease. Bryan Lewis, the NHL's director of officiating, said the goal counted because Hull "had control of the puck, and it didn't matter that his skate was in the crease." "We determined that Hull played the puck, had possession of the puck and the goal was good," Lewis said. "His foot was in first. Our immediate reaction was that it didn't matter. Our view was that he had control. Hull was in possession and control of the puck." The NHL has been studying the possibility of changing the rule. The rule disallows a goal if an offensive player has any part of his body in the goalie crease. Lewis, appearing at a news conference, insisted that Hull had possession of the puck, even though it bounced off Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek. He said as soon as the goal was scored, off-ice officials immediately went to the video replay for a review. "Every such goal has been reviewed by the NHL since the start of the season, including this one," Lewis said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | |||||||||||||||||
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