In ice hockey, autogoals are not mentioned on the official game sheets. When a player thwarts the vigilance of his own goalkeeper, the goal is awarded to the last individual to have touched the puck for the opposing team.
This is how, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the American center player from Boston Charlie Coyle (30) was credited with his 11th success of the 2022-2023 NHL season at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise where the Bruins lost in overtime against the Florida Panthers (4-3 ap).
In the 38th minute, when the score was 1-1, Florida striker Sam Bennett (26), who was alone near the net of his goalkeeper Alex Lyon, completely missed the interception of a center of Coyle.
The Ontarian intended to clear the puck in the arc of the rink, but his gesture, worthy of that of a batsman in baseball, sent the puck into the left corner of the 30-year-old American goalkeeper.
This clumsiness had no accounting consequence since the Panthers pocketed the two points in play.
But it came close. Finnish forward Aleksander Barkov made it 3-3 three seconds from the horn before British Columbia center Sam Reinhart scored the winning goal 17 seconds into overtime.
