Less than eight minutes into Game 1, Jets defenseman Ben Chariot played a spinning backhand pass towards Joel Armia, who cut in front of Ryan Carpenter to redirect the puck past Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with his skate, bumping into Fleury in the process.
The referees initially waved off the goal, not for a potential kick, but because Armia was ruled to interfere with Fleury as he lunged through the crease.
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Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice disagreed with the decision and decided to challenge the call on the ice.
After a lengthy video review, the officials ruled that Armia made contact with Fleury, but only after he had already redirected the puck into the net. Therefore, the goal was awarded as Armia did not inhibit Fleury’s ability to make the save.
Here is the official explanation of the play from the NHL:
After the game, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant seemed disappointed that the media didn’t press him for his thoughts on the situation.
Armia’s goal turned out to be the game-winner as the Jets beat the Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 1 Saturday night.
