Give the referee credit for trying to ease the pain.

After an apparent goal by Luca Sbisa was called back after it was deemed he'd used a distinct kicking motion, the official made it clear there was good news to come for Vancouver Canucks fans, as a penalty was called on the visiting St. Louis Blues.

Greatest "however" in hockey history? Maybe.

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Well, that was weird.

In need of a goal to extend Tuesday night's shootout between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, forward Vincent Trocheck provided a rather head-scratching moment.

After losing control during his deke, referees deemed the play was dead, as NHL rules state the puck cannot travel backwards during a shootout attempt.

Upon review, it was determined the puck only traveled sideways, and Trocheck was awarded the goal.

Five shooters later, Tampa Bay ultimately went on to win the shootout, and the game 4-3.

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Alexander Radulov has already endeared himself to the Montreal Canadiens faithful.

The winger scored his first for the club, and his first in the NHL since 2012, in Tuesday's home opener against Pittsburgh, and it was a lovely one to boot.

The Penguins challenged the call, but to no avail.

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NEWARK, N.J. - Taylor Hall made his new fans in New Jersey very happy with two power-play goals in a 4:11 span in the second period and the Devils posted their first win, a 2-1 decision over the road-weary and penalty-plagued Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

Related: Watch: Hall pounces on rebound for 1st goal with Devils

Cory Schneider had 23 saves and forced the Ducks' Chris Wagner to lose control of the puck on a second-period penalty shot as New Jersey snapped a five-game losing streak against Anaheim in its home opener.

Sami Vatanen scored on a power play for Anaheim, which is 0-3-1 in its five-game trip to start the season. John Gibson made 26 saves for Ducks, who played shorthanded seven times.

Hall, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who was acquired in a major trade with Edmonton in late June, tied the game at 1-all, putting the rebound of a shot by Mike Cammalleri into an open net at 12:35. It came after Anaheim killed off the opening part of a two-man advantage only to see New Jersey score 5-on-4.

Hall's second goal came on a great deflection of a point shot by defenseman Damon Severson at 16:41. Gibson never had a chance.

Wagner got his penalty shot near the end of the period but lost control of the puck after making a move on Schneider.

Anaheim got a late power play but could not convert.

Vatanen had given Anaheim the lead at 9:03 of the first period with a shot from the right circle. The Ducks never let the Devils clear the puck out of their zone after Kyle Palmieri was called for tripping at 7:15.

New Jersey was 0-for-5 on the power play in its first two games in Florida against the Panthers and Lightning.

Devils rookie defenseman Yohann Auvitu lost an apparent game-tying goal early in the second period when Reid Boucher was whistled for a high stick against defenseman Kevin Bieksa seconds before the puck went in the net.

NOTES: Devils F Sergey Kalinin (illness) is practicing again. He was placed on IR before the season. ... Vatanen's goal gave him 100 NHL career points. ... The game opened with a short fight between the Devils' Vernon Fiddler and the Ducks' Ryan Kesler. ... Adam Henrique and Devante Smith-Pelly seemed to hit goal posts in the first period.

UP NEXT:

DUCKS: at Philadelphia on Thursday night before heading home.

DEVILS: visit Boston Thursday night.

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa made NHL history Tuesday night, scoring his 500th career goal with a second-period tally versus the Philadelphia Flyers.

Hossa, well on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame, is the 44th player in league history to accomplish the feat.

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(Courtesy: NHL.com)

That didn't take long.

Mere moments after taking the franchise's fabled torch from former Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Demers, captain Max Pacioretty opened the scoring early in Tuesday's home opener, setting a team record in the process.

The goal was Pacioretty's first of the new season.

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The Montreal Canadiens added an extra special moment to their always emotional season-opening ceremony.

Jacques Demers, the last Canadiens coach to win a Stanley Cup (1993), took part in the traditional torch ceremony, handing it to captain Max Pacioretty prior to Tuesday's home opener against Pittsburgh.

Demers suffered a stroke in April and was guided to the ice in a wheelchair by current Montreal coach Michel Therrien. This was only Demers' second public appearance since the stroke, with the first coming in late September at his induction into the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame.

As fate would have it, Pacioretty opened the scoring for Montreal only 23 seconds into the game.

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Taylor Hall has officially arrived in New Jersey.

The winger, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers this past offseason, tapped home a rebound on the power play for his first goal with the Devils during Tuesday's tilt with Anaheim.

Mike Cammalleri drew the assist, and Hall was clearly fired up over getting that first goal on the board.

It didn't take long to add to that total, as Hall notched his second of the game just over four minutes later.

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The P.K. Subban trade is still on the mind of several Montreal Canadiens fans, so much so that one incredibly generous Habs supporter will donate $250,000 to P.K.'s Helping Hand Fund, according to The Canadian Press.

Dr. Charles Kowalski, the same fan that took out a full-page ad to renounce his seasons tickets and thank Subban for his Canadiens tenure last week, will present the check along with his wife at the Montreal Children's Hospital on Wednesday in the P.K. Subban Atrium.

Subban's influence is still deeply rooted in the Montreal community, as the defenseman pledged $10 million over seven years to the hospital in 2015.

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Vincent Lecavalier has proven you can go home again.

The former Tampa Bay Lightning captain, who announced his retirement from the NHL this past offseason, was welcomed back by the club and its fans prior to Tuesday's game against the Florida Panthers.

Lecavalier played 1,037 regular season games for the Lightning before his contract was bought out in 2013.

He helped the team win its only Stanley Cup back in 2004. He remains the franchise's leading goal scorer with 383.

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