Gaudreau, Predators were saved by the horn
What the on-ice officials missed the NHL's eye-in-the-sky got right
Hockey fans have become used to anticipating a coach's challenge for a video review whenever a goal has been scored during this spring's playoffs.
But many fans were confused when a seemingly random horn sounded four minutes and 20 seconds into the second period of Monday night's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final, stopping play between the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
As the 17,000-plus in the Bridgestone Arena and millions watching on TV found out, though, is that Nashville's Frederick Gaudreau had scored 35 seconds earlier and the on-ice officials missed it.
That put the NHL's "war room" in Toronto into action. Officials there checked the video and when they determined Gaudreau had indeed scored, informed the arena timekeeper to stop play, hence the horn and the subsequent announcement of the goal.
According to Rule 38.6: "In the event that a video replay shows a goal was scored prior to the play being stopped, the Video Goal Judge will inform the Game Timekeeper and Official Scorer of the time and the amount of playing time left to be reset on the game clock and penalty time clocks (if applicable)."
Therefore the clock was reset to show 16:15 (3:45 elapsed time in the second period) and Nashville was ahead 2-1 of what would be an eventual 4-1 victory.
Only one goal can be awarded on a stoppage, so if the Penguins had scored as play continued, it would not have counted.
However, if any player was given a penalty during that same continuation of play, it would count and the player would serve the time.