Brad Marchand is a great hockey player for the Boston Bruins, but now he’s also the owner of the worst shootout attempt in NHL history. Others may attempt to claim the crown, but no modern player has ever attempted to win a shootout in the fifth round and somehow left the puck at center ice on an aborted attempt that will go down in history as one of the worst ways to lose a hockey game.
Marchand and the Bruins were all knotted up with the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, and a shootout was also tied after three shooters aside. The sixth leading scorer in the NHL came up as Boston’s shooter in the fifth round, needing a goal to extend the game after Philly’s Travis Konecny finally hit the net. Then, disaster struck for the Bruins.
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1216916729990959104
That’s right: Marchand totally missed the puck. Well, not exactly. He touched the puck slightly but totally skated by it after that, and officials ruled his attempt a miss and gave the Flyers the win.
A second replay shows a more on-ice angle. You can see Flyers mascot Gritty in the background, for example, but also Marchand turn back in horror as the puck he oh-so-gently touched stayed in place at center ice as he helplessly skated by.
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1216917196150013952
For anyone unclear about the rules here, the puck has to constantly move forward in a shootout attempt, so it’s not like he could have turned around and gone back for the puck. Once he touched it and it stops dead, his attempt is a miss. And the ice is also dry-scraped by a Zamboni before shootout attempts, so it’s not like there’s some sort of home ice advantage at play here. Marchand simply didn’t touch the puck enough to make it, you know, go forward toward the net. It’s an incredible gaffe from one of the best goal-scorers in the league, especially in a huge moment like this.
Marchand had two assists in the 4-3 loss, but no one will remember those passes after one of the worst endings to a game you’ll ever see.
