Ever seen a goaltender make a save behind the shooter?
Now you have.
Carey Price of Montreal made the save on Minnesota's Devin Setoguchi to end the shootout.
And that little tap was potentially needed to end the game. If he hadn't touched the puck and simply skated to the bench, it is possible that Setoguchi could have got up, regained the puck, and shot it into an empty net.
Really?
Yeah, I kinda think so. As long as the puck never stopped and isn't touched by the goalie or past the goal line, it is a live puck.
If you read the rule for a shootout procedure (which is really Rule 24 for a penalty shot), the puck just has to be in constant motion towards the net. Once it is touched by the goaltender, it cannot be put in on a rebound. So the only ways to end an attempt are a complete stop, the puck crossing the goal line, or once the puck is shot. I suppose that little fall counted as the shot since the tender then touched the puck making any subsequent touching of the puck a rebound shot.
I just bring it up to educate a little bit on shootout and penalty shot attempts. But would it not have been funny if Carey Price had just left the ice? Would Devin Setoguchi had know to get up and grab the puck before it stopped? Would he have had time? Probably not. The puck was almost stopped when Price picked it up and started carrying it to center ice for a (somwhat rare this season) Canadiens' win.
Fun stuff.
