Jets incensed that Haula’s goal stood despite Neal slashing Hellebuyck’s mask

Warning: Story contains coarse language

The Winnipeg Jets were furious with the controversial goal that was upheld in their overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Erik Haula's tap-in goal was allowed to stand despite the fact teammate James Neal broke his stick on Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck's mask moments before, and Jets captain Blake Wheeler didn't mince words when asked about it postgame.

"Come on, (he) fucking breaks a stick over his head," Wheeler told reporters, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre. "That’s not a goal. I don’t care where the puck is."

Hellebuyck was also miffed.

"I think it’s a terrible call," he said. You would think the video replay is there for that reason (to overturn calls like that). That’s just dirty. I can take a stick to the face. But just because I don’t throw my head back and make it obvious, I feel like I got kind of screwed.

"This is my fourth goal with my helmet, having an issue with it," the netminder added. "(There was a) goal with my helmet off, (a) goal with my buckle off, (and a) goal where a guy trampled me. Maybe I should start diving a little bit, (because) that’s just ridiculous."

Jets head coach Paul Maurice couldn't believe it, either.

"I don't know how there'd be an event that would be more egregious with goaltender interference, just beyond the spirit of the rule," he said. "The idea that a guy could clean a goalie out would be goalie interference, but a two-hand to the head wouldn't.

"What are we going to do with our goalies now?" Maurice continued. "The puck's loose in the crease, so swing away? We can’t have people swinging at our goalie’s heads. You can’t allow that to creep into the game."

The incident occurred in the second period of Thursday's game. The Jets tied the contest late in the third, but David Perron won it in overtime to give the Golden Knights the NHL record for expansion-team victories.

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Watch: Goal stands despite Neal breaking stick on Hellebuyck’s mask

The Vegas Golden Knights' historic night didn't come without a little controversy.

Erik Haula's second-period goal was upheld upon review after being challenged by Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice, who was looking for a goaltender interference call because Golden Knights forward James Neal broke his stick on Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's mask.

Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor tied the game late in the third period, but Vegas' David Perron won it in overtime to give the Golden Knights the most wins by an expansion team in NHL history.

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Blues GM Armstrong sounds off on botched goalie interference call

Another night, another goalie interference controversy. The latest involving the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins Thursday night.

Blues netminder Jake Allen was driven out of the crease (and off the camera) by Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner, allowing David Krejci to score what was probably the easiest goal of his career.

The explanation as to why the goal counted was that Allen didn't fight his way back into position, and therefore could not have made the save, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong did not like it one bit.

"Well that's a new one to me," he told Rutherford postgame. "Now all of (a) sudden (the referee) is clairvoyant. There are great saves in our game for a reason because goalies do things they're not supposed to do.

"For the referee to feel that he's the judge and jury on who can make a great save, who's athletic enough ... again that's a new area I didn't realize was part of his job description."

Armstrong, like so many others, is clearly frustrated with the gray area in which goalie interference calls are made. He failed to offer much of a solution when asked how the league can fix the issue.

"I don't think they know, I don't think we know. I don't think anyone knows now because this cat is out of the bag," he said.

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Golden Knights set all-time record for expansion-team wins

It was only a matter of time, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

The Vegas Golden Knights broke the NHL record for wins by an expansion team Thursday night thanks to an overtime victory against the Winnipeg Jets.

It was the Golden Knights' 34th win of the season, breaking the previous mark held by both the Florida Panthers and the then-Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who each won 33 games in 1993-94.

David Perron scored the overtime winner nearly four minutes into the extra frame Thursday night. Vegas had a 2-1 lead late in the third period, but Jets forward Kyle Connor tied it up with less than three minutes left in regulation.

The Golden Knights improved to 34-12-4 through 50 games, padding their lead atop the Pacific Division.

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Maple Leafs have been dominant since shuffling forward lines

The Toronto Maple Leafs have really hit their stride over the last four games, and it's no coincidence that it transpired as soon as head coach Mike Babcock made a fairly significant lineup adjustment.

This was the Leafs' lineup for their game against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 22 - one game before their current four-game winning streak:

LW C RW
Zach Hyman Auston Matthews William Nylander
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Leo Komarov
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Connor Brown
Matt Martin Frederik Gauthier Mitch Marner

Here's the lineup they've iced for the last quartet of games, in which they've outscored their opponents 16-3:

LW C RW
Zach Hyman Auston Matthews William Nylander
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Connor Brown
Leo Komarov Dominic Moore Kasperi Kapanen

The biggest change was clearly Marner's promotion to the second line. Not only has it vaulted his own play (three points in four games) but Kadri has also benefited, tallying more points in his last four contests (five) than he did in the 20 games prior (two).

Moreover, replacing Martin and Gauthier with Moore and Kapanen has given the Leafs a formidable fourth line with a nice combination of speed, skill, and defensive awareness.

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Did the Blues get robbed on a goalie interference non-call?

David Krejci has probably never scored an easier goal in his life.

Linemates Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner were each given assists on the play for touching the puck prior to Krejci's goal, but the true assist came when they drove St. Louis Blues netminder Jake Allen out of the crease.

Upon further review, it was ruled that there was no goalie interference on the play.

This is the first controversial ruling since commissioner Gary Bettman issued a memo to officials, telling them to stop "overthinking" goalie interference calls.

Should this goal have counted?

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Maple Leafs’ Holl in rarefied air with goals in first 2 games

One Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is off to a Holl of a start to his NHL career.

Justin Holl snapped one past Henrik Lundqvist to open the scoring against the New York Rangers on Thursday night, and he made some history in the process.

Holl joined only a handful of other blue-liners in league history to notch a goal in each of his first two NHL games.

He also became the first defenseman in Maple Leafs history to accomplish the feat.

The 26-year-old scored his first NHL goal Wednesday night in a victory over the New York Islanders.

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Watch: Flyers, Devils get chippy after Gudas’ late hit on Palmieri

The Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils started their interdivisional tilt with a bang Thursday, engaging in a good ol' fashioned brouhaha in the opening frame.

Things got chippy following this hit, in which Radko Gudas caught an unsuspecting Kyle Palmieri.

A scrum ensued, leading to a fight between Brandon Manning and Damon Severson.

As expected, Gudas was forced to answer the bell for his antics, dropping the gloves with Travis Zajac once he was freed from the penalty box.

The Flyers and Devils entered the contest in playoff positions, separated by just two points in the crammed Metropolitan Division standings.

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Forsberg rejoins Predators’ lineup after month-long injury absence

With less than a month until the NHL trade deadline, the defending Western Conference champions just received a massive boost.

Filip Forsberg, who last played Dec. 29 due to an upper-body injury, rejoined the Nashville Predators' lineup Thursday for their tilt against the Los Angeles Kings.

Even though Nashville managed to go 7-2-2 in Forsberg's absence, the team only averaged 2.27 goals per game over that span. Forsberg's 15 goals are still tied for the team lead despite him missing 11 games. In total, the Swede had 34 points in 37 games prior to his injury.

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Bettman implies he’ll remain commissioner through next CBA talks

Gary Bettman has been commissioner of the NHL for a quarter of a century, and he doesn't intend to relinquish those duties in the near future.

"I don't plan on going anywhere. I'm having too much fun, I'm loving the opportunity, (and) there's nothing else I'd rather be doing," Bettman said on Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Thursday, after Sportsnet's Chris Johnston asked whether he plans to remain commissioner through the next round of CBA negotiations.

The NHL's current collective bargaining agreement was a 10-year deal signed in 2013, but the league can opt out on Sept. 1, 2019, and the NHLPA can choose to opt out on Sept. 19, 2019.

As a result, the next round of talks is expected to take place in either 2020 or 2022.

Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of Bettman's appointment to commissioner, and he insisted he hasn't lost his passion for the job.

"It's an honor to do what I do, it's a great challenge, (and) we have great opportunities ahead of us ... so as long as I can give this 100 percent, then I want to keep doing it," he said. "If for whatever reason I don't feel I can give it 100 percent, then I'll stop, but I'm running on all cylinders as long as I can tell."

The 65-year-old executive came to the NHL after serving as a senior vice president and general counsel with the NBA.

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