Stanley Cup Final: NHL official explains no-goal call that led to Golden Knights' costly challenge in Game 2 loss

Before Seth Jarvis’ overtime heroics, the Carolina Hurricanes scored on another power play Thursday night during their 4-3 comeback and series-tying win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. That fruitful power play took place in a drama-filled third period, and the man advantage was the byproduct of an unsuccessful Vegas challenge that contested a controversial no-goal call.

With the game tied 2-2, after Carolina had already erased a 2-0 deficit earlier in the period, Golden Knights left winger Ivan Barbashev’s wraparound attempt was stunningly saved by a sprawled-out Frederik Andersen, who used his stick to deny the puck with about five minutes remaining in the game at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In the subsequent moments, however, madness ensued. Barbashev swiped for the rebound, the puck trickled toward Andersen in the crease and the Hurricanes goalie tried to cover it. Persistently, Barbashev kept trying to push to jar the puck loose. Simultaneously, in front of the cage, Golden Knights right winger Pavel Dorofeyev came sliding into the crease. Ultimately, it squirted out and past the goal line.

But the goal was waved off because of goaltender interference, according to the NHL’s director of officiating, Stephen Walkom.

“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” Walkom told a pool reporter, via The Athletic. “He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waved it off immediately.”

Vegas head coach John Tortorella challenged the ruling, to no avail, though. The no-goal call was upheld after a video review, which Walkom said didn’t reveal anything that warranted a reversal, as reported by The Athletic.

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie. Our player stabbed it [and] didn’t move the goalie, and it goes through him and to the other side,” Tortorella said postgame.

“I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”

Because of the failed challenge, Vegas was hit with a delay-of-game penalty. Carolina captain Jordan Staal capitalized on the opportunity, with the center redirecting defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere’s shot into the net.

Granted, Vegas tied the game later in the third period to force overtime, but Tortorella’s costly challenge was a hot topic during and after the Hurricanes’ win.

After all, it was part of quite the swing. Instead of the Golden Knights’ slowing Carolina’s comeback bid, the ’Canes just kept picking up momentum once the Vegas goal was waved off and Carolina was awarded a power play.

The Golden Knights were 31-0-3 overall this season when ahead after two periods, per ESPN, which also reported that the Hurricanes are now the first team since 1944 to win a Stanley Cup Final game after looking up at a multiple-goal hole with 10 minutes to go in regulation.