The Crazy Improbably Play That Happened Twice in One Night

Matt Christians

Goofy stuff happens in hockey games. Usually once or twice in a season, an unfortunate team will end up giving up a goal while possessing the puck during a delayed penalty, either thanks to a bad bounce or errant pass will find its’ way into a vacated goal.

That happened twice on Friday evening. But that’s not the strangest part. Adding to the already astronomical improbability is that in both instances, the player credited for the goal was the player that the delayed penalty had been called for.

In Kalamazoo last night, Western Michigan’s Cam Knuble was found guilty of a holding infraction. During the delayed penalty, Minnesota Duluth got possession of the puck behind their own net. They tried to force a pass up the middle that hit off the back of their own goalie and into the net.

Here’s the play:

I especially enjoy the official pulling Knuble out of the celebration handshake to take him to the box.

If that was something you’d never seen before, you’d only have to wait a few hours to see it again. Later that evening in Madison, Lindenwood forward Joe Prouty committed a slashing infraction. Wisconsin pulled their goalie during the delayed penalty, and trying to establish an attack, attempted to make a regroup pass back to their own defenseman. But the pass was errant and it ended up sliding into the vacant net.

Here’s the play:

As the last Lindenwood player to touch the puck, Prouty was given credit for the empty-net goal. The goal put Lindenwood ahead in the third period, but the Badgers mercifully rallied for a 4-3 victory, so the error wasn’t fatal.