The Boston Bruins are off to a roaring start to the lockout-shortened season, and their hot streak continued with a shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. You know things are going particularly well when a flying hot dog wipes out one of your shootout goals and you still find a way to win.
Tyler Seguin was Boston’s first shooter when the shootout began, and an object that appeared to be either a hot dog or a sausage came sliding across the ice as he was skating in on Devils goalie Johan Hedberg. As Puck Daddy pointed out, the NHL has a rule that resulted in Seguin having to take the shot again after he scored. NHL rule 24.4:
If, while the penalty shot is being taken, a spectator throws any object onto the ice or, in the judgment of the Referee, interferes with the player taking the shot or the goalkeeper defending the shot, he shall permit the shot be taken again.
While the replay appeared to show that the food item slid behind Hedberg and was actually more in Seguin’s line of sight, the officials ruled that Seguin had to retake the shot. He scored again, and the Bruins eventually went on to win.
At least it wasn’t a dead animal, right? Believe it or not, that has happened once or twice during NHL games.
