Does the NHL need to revise shootout rules after Wild loss to Nashville?
For the second time in three nights, Nashville's Ryan Johansen skated as slowly as he could and then made a series of moves that sent goalie Devan Dubnyk one way while he went the other way for the game-winning shootout goal.
Dubnyk was incensed as soon as the horn sounded, with NBC Sports Network's Pierre McGuire assuming the Wild goalie wanted the goal waived off because Johansen pretty much stopped his forward progress.
Here's a replay of the entire shootout. You can see Johansen's attempt at the 2:40 mark.
It was the only successful attempt for either team in the shootout as Pekke Rinne stonewalled Ryan Donato's last chance to tie things up for the Wild.
Johansen did almost the same thing to beat goalie Alex Stalock in Sunday's 5-4 shootout win over the Wild, and like Dubnyk, Stalock was calling for the refs to review the goal because Johansen nearly stopped forward momentum.
"It's a mockery, we're trying to make the playoffs," said Dubnyk.
It was the big debate on Twitter after the game, which was otherwise an exciting, back-and-forth duel between a Central Division rivals.
Minnesota got a tremendous performance by Kevin Fiala, who was playing in Nashville for the first time since the Predators traded him to Minnesota for Mikael Granlund.
Fialed scored in the first period to tie the game 1-1 and then netted the tying goal again with under 2 1/2 minutes to go in the third period.
"The one thing about our team recently, we don't quit," said head coach Bruce Boudreau. "We keep fighting and fighting, and we got the goal in the end."
Minnesota is 5-0-2 in its last seven, which is its longest points streak of the season. With 72 points, they are in control of the second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Colorado and three up on Arizona.
