Mark Pysyk's first goal of the season at 3:47 of overtime gave the Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 win against the Phoenix Coyotes at First Niagara Center on Monday. Pysyk, a defenseman who was recalled from the American Hockey League on Monday afternoon, was credited with the game-winning goal when Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal knocked a loose puck out of the air and into goalie Mike Smith's hockey pants. Smith slid backward into the net to prevent a rebound opportunity not knowing the puck was in his equipment. With Christmas Pantomime season in full swing, this goal was pure slap-stick humor. A moment so bizarre it even made it onto British news channels.
"I just put it on net, figuring I'd maybe
get a rebound," Pysyk said. "I tried to jump
through, right close to him, right in front there, so I knew he'd
probably get a stick before I would. Just popped it up right in the
air and was lucky enough that he spun and it went right into the
net."
A review of the play confirmed the puck crossed
the line. Although questions should be asked of serial Coyote hating
official Paul Devorski who surely should have ruled the puck was dead
and out of play while stuck in Smith's pants rather than allow the
goal to stand.
"I've seen similar things. I've never seen
that," Sabres goalie Ryan
Miller said. "[It was] a little unlucky for Smith there.
I think he'll be shaking his head for a while. These are the kind of
things that weren't happening for us. It's a little bit of a
Christmas present for us, and we'll take it."
Smith said, "I don't know. I guess if they
don't see the puck, they're supposed to blow the whistle. That's not
what happened."
Sabres forward Tyler
Ennis tied the game 1-1 with 5:59 remaining in the third period.
Ennis got a pass from Zemgus
Girgensons after he stole it from Coyotes defenseman Michael
Stone and broke in on Smith. Ennis deked and put the puck past
Smith for his eighth goal of the season.
"The guy just fell and I lifted his stick
and slid the puck through the two guys," Girgensons said. "I
was hoping it would go through, and Ennis finished it really good."
The Coyotes led 1-0 on a goal by Hanzal early in
the second period. He deflected a point shot from defenseman Connor
Murphy past Miller at 19 seconds. The play was reviewed to see if
Hanzal tipped it with a high stick, but the call on the ice stood for
his 10th goal of the season.
"The one goal, it looked like it was a
high stick to me," Sabres interim coach Ted Nolan said.
"Those things happen. We didn't get that break, but you've
got to give this team a lot credit, they had good perseverance."
The Sabres lost forward Drew
Stafford at 11:16 of the second period when he was given a
five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. Stafford hit
Coyotes defenseman Oliver
Ekman-Larsson on a play in the corner. Ekman-Larsson was pursuing
the puck when Stafford swung his elbow back and caught Ekman-Larsson
in the face and put him down on the ice. Ekman-Larsson wasn't injured
and remained in the game.
"It kind of looked like he shouldered him
off," Nolan said. "I think he just tried to shoulder
him off more so than the elbow, but, it didn't look good."
The Sabres were shorthanded to start the game.
They dressed 18 players (16 skaters, two goalies) because of a flu
outbreak; four of the five scratches involved players out with
illness. It was the first time since Jan. 7, 1981, they've skated
with that few players. Phoenix ended a four-game road trip with a
1-1-2 record.
"That was embarrassing as far as I'm
concerned," Smith said. "You go on a Christmas
break, you have three days off, and you come out like that? I think
that's a bunch of garbage as far as far as I'm concerned. You could
tell they [had a] short lineup, they didn't want to make a mistake
and we played right into that."
Miller made 36 saves; Smith stopped 30 shots. The
teams return to action Friday. The Sabres go on the road to play the
Toronto Maple Leafs. The Coyotes head home to play the San Jose
Sharks.
The Bizarre winning goal: http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/24386447/video-mike-smith-gets-puck-stuck-in-pads-carries-it-into-own-net
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