COLUMBUS – Manny Legace didn’t know where the puck went, and the officials didn’t see enough on tape to determine that it was a goal.
St. Louis rookie David Backes had his first two-goal game in the NHL, leading the Blues past the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 on Wednesday night. But what could have been a go-ahead goal for Columbus was disallowed after a video review.
With the score tied at 2-2 at the 7:07 mark of the third period, Anson Carter’s wrist shot from the right wing handcuffed Legace, who fell backward into the net with the puck rolling underneath him and apparently over the goal line. His leg blocked an overhead view of the puck, and after a review, it was ruled it was not a goal.
“You guys should know better than I would. Didn’t you see the replay?” Legace asked reporters. “I had no idea where the puck was. It went to Carter and he threw it at the net. It hit the side of the net. I felt it go under my right leg. I didn’t know where it was.”
When referee Dave Jackson waved off the goal, the result was booed by the crowd – which was sparse, likely due to snow and cold temperatures.
“We never saw the puck cross the line at any time, which is why we initiated a review,” Jackson said. “The video was inconclusive, so the call stood.”
Three minutes later, Backes scored his second goal to give the Blues the lead for good. Playing in his 25th game, he notched his third and fourth goals – three coming in the last three contests.
Jay McClement streaked along the left boards with the puck before firing a backdoor, tape-to-tape pass that only required Backes to put his stick on the ice to score.
