The Vegas Golden Knights believed they had gone back in front of the Carolina Hurricanes with 5 minutes remaining on Thursday night in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Instead, they found themselves on the penalty kill in a tie game.
Carolina would capitalize on the opportunity just 25 seconds later, and although the Knights tied it up in the final minutes of regulation, the Hurricanes would eventually win 4-3 in overtime to even the series at 1-1.
The controversy could linger well past Saturday night’s Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena, especially if the Knights go on to lose the series.
“Obviously a game-changer for us,” Carolina captain Jordan Staal said.
The play and final decision certainly left room for plenty of interpretation and disagreement.
The Golden Knights lose the challenge to overturn this no-goal call. pic.twitter.com/Xy2Z6NmKoM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2026
Ivan Barbashev went behind the net and tried to push the puck in on a wraparound that was stuffed by goalie Frederik Andersen.
Barbashev was among several bodies who then converged on the crease with the puck under Andersen and briefly out of sight of the official. Barbashev’s stick appeared to get a piece of the loose puck that then trickled into the net just as the referee behind it began waving his arms and blowing his whistle to stop the play.
A camera that appeared to be stationed in the rafters provided a view that when slowed down made it look as if the puck was indeed loose when contacted by Barbashev, though it is still open to interpretation on exactly when the stick contacted the puck in the mass of bodies.
While it was first unclear whether the goal didn’t count because it had been ruled to be in possession of Andersen, an announcement was made that there was a determination of goaltender interference.
Knights coach John Tortorella elected to challenge the call after a discussion with his staff and multiple viewings of the replay on the tablet.
It was unsuccessful, which not only kept the game tied, but put the Hurricanes on a power play that they converted to take their first lead of the night.
The replay report issued by the league said an overturn would have required “conclusive and irrefutable” evidence and that the replay determined “Barbashev interfered with Frederik Andersen and impaired his ability to play his position in the crease prior to the puck entering the Carolina net.”
The sentiment was backed by NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom after the game.
“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” he told a pool reporter. “(The official) waived it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waived it off immediately.”
Tortorella obviously disagreed with the assessment and doubled down on his decision to challenge even though it backfired tremendously.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddy,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it and didn’t move the goalie and it goes through to the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”
Staal, who ended up in the net on the play, didn’t get a great view.
“When I was there, it looked like Freddy grabbed it, and I heard a whistle,” he said. “To me, it felt like a no goal. Obviously on the other side, I’m sure they have a different opinion.
“My gut said there was no way. But incredible effort by Freddy. Just staying with that one and finding a way to get a piece of it. I was flopping all over. I didn’t know what was going on, and Freddy just stuck with it. The guy is an absolute animal. That was a pretty crazy play.”
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour says his team’s rule when deciding whether to challenge a goal that was not counted on the ice is that they must be 100 percent certain on the bench they are going to be successful.
“That was a crazy time, obviously,” he said. “I don’t even know what to tell you.
“They called no goal on the ice, and that’s how it worked out. I don’t know what the explanation is. It looked like he had it covered and all of a sudden it was in the net. I haven’t really looked at it, I’m just happy it went our way.”
He added one potential factor for the Knights being more comfortable making the challenge was how dominant their penalty kill had been in the series.
Carolina, however, not only scored on the ensuing power play, but may have gained confidence in the unit as they netted the game-winner in overtime with the man-advantage.
The call and decision will loom large the next few days as the Knights could have seized firm control of the series with a win.
They know they must now put it behind them, though.
“Just out of our control,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said of the call. “That’s their decision. Nothing we can do about it.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
