The Boston Bruins goaltender was scored on by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday while dealing with a skate blade issue, and was visibly incensed that play was allowed to go on.
The officials assured him they just didn't see the broken blade.
Tuukka Rask on the broken skate blade leading to the 2nd Tampa goal: “The refs told me if they’d seen it they would have blown it dead.”
The NHL confirmed there is no rule for referees to stop play for a broken piece of equipment, regardless of whether the equipment belongs to a goaltender or a skater. The only exception here is goalie helmets.
According to NHL director of officiating supervision Stephen Walkom, there's some wiggle room on the official ruling.
"The refs will use common sense," Walkom told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "If Boston gets control of the puck, they will probably kill the play, but at no time will they disadvantage the opposing team."
The Bruins didn't touch the puck before Mikhail Sergachev deposited it into the net, but in the end, it didn't matter, as Boston cruised to a 6-2 win.
Pastrnak's four points put him first among all players this postseason, now one ahead of Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel and two ahead of Sidney Crosby. Marchand's now up to fourth, while Bergeron ranks fifth.
Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask lost his cool during the second period of Game 1 in Tampa Bay immediately after being scored on by the Lightning.
The issue wasn't interference or a high stick, but rather that he had been playing with a broken skate blade for a few moments and was therefore hindered from making the save.
According to NHL rule 14.1, "Play shall not be stopped nor the game delayed by reasons of adjustments to clothing, equipment, skates or sticks. The onus of maintaining clothing and equipment in proper condition shall be upon the player. If adjustments are required, the player shall leave the ice and play shall continue with a substitute."
That's one thing in relation to skaters, but there's no exception for goalies.
"No delay shall be permitted for the repair or adjustment of goalkeeper's equipment. If adjustments are required, the goalkeeper shall leave the ice and his place shall be taken by the substitute goalkeeper immediately."
While eight clubs continue to battle for their chance to drink from the Stanley Cup, on Saturday night, the bottom 15 NHL clubs get their opportunity to celebrate: the draft lottery.
The league will reveal which team has the right to select first overall in this year's entry draft, allowing them to land highly coveted prospect Rasmus Dahlin.
As is the case with any lottery, the outcome is sure to produce some disappointment, but with such a game-changing defenseman up for grabs, a few outcomes would be particularly devastating for some teams and fans.
Here are the four most aggravating potential results from the draft lottery.
4. Islanders win with Flames' pick
It's not often that a lottery team hopes its name isn't called, but that may be exactly how the Calgary Flames feel.
The Flames have the 12th-best chance to win (2.5 percent), but they traded that pick to the New York Islanders last offseason as part of the Travis Hamonic deal - meaning the Islanders have two chances to walk away with a lottery selection.
Calgary fell out of a playoff spot toward the end of the year, leading to head coach Glen Gulutzan's firing. It would add insult to injury for Flames fans if they missed out on potentially drafting first overall.
While running the draft simulator at Tankathon.com, we actually produced a scenario where the Islanders won the first and second overall selections.
Can you imagine?
3. Sabres can't catch a break
The Buffalo Sabres are that person who picks the same lottery numbers every week and only wins a free play, while their wealthier peers take home the big prizes.
Things just never seem to go the Sabres' way, no matter how hard they try to put themselves in position to get the top selection.
That was never more apparent than in 2015. After finishing the year with a league-worst 54 points, the team lost out on the first overall pick and had to settle for second.
The consolation prize was Jack Eichel - who's on the way to being an elite talent in his own right - but watching Connor McDavid go to the Oilers must have been gut-wrenching.
The Sabres enter Saturday with the best chance at snagging the first overall pick. There's no way they miss out again ... is there?
2. Blackhawks hit the jackpot
The Chicago Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last seven years. Come on.
The team just missed the postseason for the first time since 2007-08. Chicago can blame an injury to goaltender Corey Crawford, who didn't play after Dec. 23, and some underperforming players.
With some better puck luck and their No. 1 goalie healthy, there is no reason the Blackhawks can't quickly return to contention. Watching them pick first overall thanks to one down year would be infuriating for the rest of the league.
1. Oilers win ... again
If the Edmonton Oilers somehow win the draft lottery again, listen closely and you might be able to hear the groans from every other fan base.
Since 2010, the Oilers have selected first overall four times, including a three-year run from 2010-12.
Year
Player Picked
Chance at Winning
2010
Taylor Hall
25%
2011
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
25%
2012
Nail Yakupov
18.8%
2015
Connor McDavid
11.5%
What's even worse - depending on how you look at it - is that the Oilers don't have much to show for all that luck. Last season marked the first time the club made the playoffs in 11 years, but the team fell out of the picture again this season. Meanwhile, Taylor Hall (now a Hart Trophy nominee) and Nail Yakupov (now a healthy scratch in the playoffs) are both playing elsewhere.
If Edmonton wins again, you can bet fans will demand new rules to prevent that kind of draft dominance, no matter how conflicted Oilers fans may feel about the results.
Following reports that Buffalo Sabres rookie forward Casey Mittelstadt would be part of the American squad at the upcoming World Championship, the Minnesota native was conspicuously absent when Team USA announced its final roster Saturday.
Mittelstadt spent the 2017-18 campaign with the University of Minnesota, where he scored 30 points in 34 games. He was also a key contributor for the Americans at last year's World Junior Championship.
Following the college season, Mittelstadt closed out his campaign in Buffalo, where he notched five points in six games.
The 19-year-old is expected to play a key role with the Sabres next year. Buffalo selected Mittelstadt with the eighth pick in the 2017 draft.
The Russian center took part in practice Saturday, wearing a full-contact jersey and skating with Carter Rowney and Tom Kuhnhackl, while also seeing time on the Penguins' top powerplay unit.
Malkin has recorded five points in five appearances this postseason.
The United States unveiled their roster for the 2018 World Championship on Saturday.
The team - unlike in previous years - is stocked full of elite talent with the likes of Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, and Anders Lee, looking to improve on last year's fifth place finish.
Here is the full roster:
Cam Atkinson (Blue Jackets)
Will Butcher (Devils)
Blake Coleman (Devils)
Scott Darling (Hurricanes)
Alex DeBrincat (Blackhawks)
Johnny Gaudreau (Flames)
Brian Gibbons (Devils)
Quinn Hughes (University of Michigan)
Patrick Kane (Blackhawks)
Keith Kinkaid (Devils)
Chris Kreider (Rangers)
Dylan Larkin (Red Wings)
Anders Lee (Islanders)
Charlie Lindgren (Canadiens)
Alec Martinez (Kings)
Sonny Milano (Blue Jackets)
Connor Murphy (Blackhawks)
Jordan Oesterle (Blackhawks)
Neal Pionk (Rangers)
Derek Ryan (Hurricanes)
Tage Thompson (Blues)
Colin White (Senators)
The Americans kick off the tournament next Friday with an early test against the powerhouse Canadians.
As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 19th edition focuses on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Good
Freddie Andersen.Andersen was one of a few Leafs players who had a career year. He won a career-high 38 games while facing the most shots of any goalie in the NHL and boasted a .918 save percentage. The team wouldn't have gotten so far without Andersen’s efforts.
A talented core.Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Nazem Kadri, Zach Hyman, and Connor Brown were Toronto’s best players, and signal an incredibly bright future. Matthews and Kadri became the first center pair in Leafs history to score 30 goals. Matthews also became the third player in Leafs history to score 30 goals in each of his first two seasons.
A franchise record. The team's 46th win, recorded against the Florida Panthers in the last week of the season, secured a place for this year’s Leafs squad in the franchise record books - remarkable for a club that’s been around since 1917. The Leafs finished the season with 49 wins.
The Bad
Too many shots allowed. The Leafs allowed the fourth-most shots per game during the regular season (33.9). Andersen faced the most shots of any goalie in the league (2,211) and made the most saves in the NHL (2,029), a whopping 120 ahead of anyone else. Combined with Andersen playing in 66 regular-season games, this might have contributed to some fatigue in the Leafs’ first-round loss to the Boston Bruins.
Kadri’s suspension. Losing one of their most important centers and their second-highest goal-scorer for three games in a playoff series against the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference wasn’t ideal. The Leafs still took Boston to seven games despite Kadri being suspended for checking Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in the head, but his absence made a difference.
Another first-round exit. For most of the season, this iteration of the Leafs looked destined for playoff greatness. Instead, they were eliminated by the Bruins in seven games, the second year in a row that their season ended in the first round. In 2017, Toronto was knocked out of the playoffs in six games by the Washington Capitals.
The Questions
What’s in store this summer? It’s a critical offseason for the Leafs; they've done well at drafting and developing talent over the past few years, but they need to address the shortcomings that have prevented them from taking the next step in the playoffs. One of those is a top-pairing defenseman; Jake Gardiner had his best NHL season, but he can’t do it all alone.
Who’s on their way out?Tomas Plekanec, acquired at the trade deadline, is all but guaranteed not to return. There’s been talk that free agents James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov won't be back either. This will open up more opportunities for players like Brown, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson next fall. The Leafs could look a lot different, especially if their younger players take the next step.
Where does Lou land? General manager Lou Lamoriello’s three-year contract expires soon, and there's been no word on whether he will return next season. There’s a provision in his contract that would allow him to spend two years beyond his contract in an advisory role with the organization. Lamoriello’s fate might be tied to those of his assistants, Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas. Either or both could be up for a promotion this summer.
2018 NHL Draft Lottery When: Saturday, April 28th, 7:30 p.m. ET Where: Toronto TV: Sportsnet, NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
It's time for the draft lottery, folks, and we have all you need to know.
All the non-playoff teams and their legions of loyal fans will have their eyeballs glued to the television Saturday evening to see which organization wins the right to the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft.
While the format remains the same, with three lottery spots up for grabs, this year offers one interesting caveat, as picks No. 15 through No. 4 will be announced prior to Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, while the top three picks won't be revealed until the second intermission.
Odds
Once again, the Buffalo Sabres have a chance at the top selection, and they'll be hoping to have some better luck than in years past.
The Flames pick, meanwhile, is owed to the Islanders due to last offseason's Travis Hamonic trade, and the Blues can give the Flyers next year's pick if this year's is in the top 10, a condition manifested in the Brayden Schenn swap.
In the last two years, there has been a significant shakeup in the top three, and the Sabres, Senators, and Coyotes are surely hoping that's not the case this time around.
For just the second time in 10 years, a defenseman is the consensus No. 1 pick. Here's some info on the projected top three prospects.
Rasmus Dahlin
The Swedish defenseman has been atop the draft rankings all year long, drawing comparisons to fellow countrymen Erik Karlsson and Nicklas Lidstrom. Not bad.
Dahlin is a generational talent and is expected to make an immediate impact in any organization lucky enough to land him.
The top forward in the class, Svechnikov is a gifted offensive talent that spent his draft year with the Barrie Colts of the OHL, recording 40 goals and 32 assists in just 44 games in his rookie year.
Zadina, a native of the Czech Republic, comes in as the third-ranked North American skater, and boosted his stock with a strong showing at the world juniors, burying seven goals in seven games.
The 18-year-old found the scoresheet consistently in the QMJHL, notching 82 points in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads.
Forward Brady Tkachuk, and blue liners Adam Boqvist, Quinn Hughes, and Evan Bouchard are among the other prospects projected to be drafted in the top 10. The complete list of rankings can be seen here.
