As noted by Matt Drake, a review of the game footage indicates that Nick Suzuki, captain of the Montreal Canadiens, was denied a goal yesterday.
While it wasn’t a major setback since the Canadiens scored later, Suzuki missed out on what would have been his hat trick in Buffalo.
Near the end of the game, as he approached an empty net for his third goal, Suzuki was clearly tripped by a Sabres player.
In such cases, the referee should have promptly awarded the goal to Suzuki.
According to Matt Drake, “While it doesn’t change the outcome since the Canadiens scored, this goal should have counted. Suzuki was on his way to an empty net when he was tripped. It’s one of those rare instances when referees can simply credit a player with a goal.”
This serves as helpful information for the future, but it seems Suzuki was about to score when he was impeded.
Nonetheless, the Canadiens captain had an impressive performance yesterday afternoon against the Sabres, recording four points (two goals and two assists) during a 7-5 win.
Did you know about this specific rule?
Nick Suzuki, 25, has garnered 17 points in 16 games this season, including six goals, after a strong season last year with 77 points.
When he plays at the level he did yesterday, the Canadiens become a formidable opponent (particularly when the goalies deliver crucial saves).
