Overturned goal puzzles Hitchcock, but Stars battle back for a point in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was good hockey play.

A hard drive to the net, creating a chance, and crashing for a rebound. It’s the type of play you practice all the time, and want your players to execute.

That was Ken Hitchcock’s view of an overturned goal that would have tied the game at 1-1 for the Dallas Stars early in the third period on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Look. I don’t understand where we’re going because we practice every day, like every other team does in the NHL, going to the net. Our player went to the net and was responsible for putting a play on the net and we scored on the rebound,” Hitchcock said. “When we’re in a situation where you’re not counting those as goals now what are we doing? What are we doing to our game that that can’t be a goal because we’re talking about hits, we’re about taking some of that goes out of the game now you can’t drive the net?”

“And then the referees say to me it was an easy call. I don’t understand,” he added. “And I don’t understand how that can’t be a goal that’s what every coach wants his players to do and now you’re going to tell your player well you can’t do that or you have to when you go to the net you’ve got to be careful and you’ve got to make sure that you tiptoe around the outside you can kind of stick your toe in the water but you’ve got to go back to the beach. I don’t get it right now. I don’t know what we’re doing.”

Radulov drives the net and the rebound is put in by Roussel. One of the "dirty goals" that Razor and Ludwig talked about. Call overturned however on goaltender interference. pic.twitter.com/qku2ATPKLV

— Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) January 19, 2018

Obviously the officials had a much different opinion after Radulov drove the net and made contact with Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo. That was immediately followed up by Antoine Roussel putting the puck in the net.

“I was pretty sure it would be good goal because I wasn’t basically pushing or doing anything,” Radulov said. “But I guess they saw some contact there, and they waived it off and it is what it is.”

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella didn’t have much hesitation about challenging the play, but didn’t know which part to challenge in particular. He said there was also offsides on the play, but if you challenge offsides and lose, you get a penalty. With that thought in mind he decided to go with the goalie interference review.

“That offsides rule is scary,” Tortorella said.

Hitchcock isn’t a fan of pity points and really wasn’t looking for silver linings after the game. When asked he said, “You can bring up something else but don’t talk to me on the good side that we got one point. That’s not good.”

With all due respect, it was actually good point and a slight step in the right direction after a horrendous first period.

It was the first time the Stars picked up a point when trailing after two periods, it was also a game where their goalie made the timely saves in a close game — including a phenomenal glove grab against Alexander Wennberg.

SOMEONE CALL THE COPS. BISHOP JUST ROBBED WENNBERG LIKE NO OTHER. pic.twitter.com/BcmzjHNll1

— Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) January 19, 2018

“You got to find a way to get points,” Stars goalie Ben Bishop said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s your best game or one of your uglier games. You find a way to get points and we did that.”

Hitchcock did admit that his team progressed as the game went along.

“We played two periods of good hockey,” Hitchcock said. “Our first period was not very good at all. We were light and loose on the puck, we were on the ends of our stick. But we had a dozen scoring chances in the last two periods. It’s disappointing because we could have and should have won the hockey game. I’m confused to say the least.

Strong debut

Dillon Heatherington acquitted himself well in his NHL debut.

With his family in attendance Heatherington had 19 shifts for 13 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time.

“The first five minutes my legs were shaking, so it’s tough to concentrate as the game went on,” Heatherington said. “Johns helped me out so much, he’s experienced that before and he just kind of helped me settle down and finally found my game and went.”

He impressed Hitchcock, and there is a good chance he’ll be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.

“He was good. Solid. Smart. Big.gives us a different dimension there. Very impressed with Dillon tonight,” Hitchcock said. “He’s an asset. He’s a really good asset for us right now. It’s a good thing. Good thing he got a chance to play and I think there’s a lot of confidence in what he can do.”

Heatherington also took the customary NHL rookie lap before warmups.

Dillon Heatherington with the rookie lap before his first NHL game pic.twitter.com/P388iBgMdD

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) January 18, 2018

Heatherington said he didn’t know they’d pull that prank, he also didn’t plan to take warmups without a helmet. But his teammates hid it, so he was forced to take a couple laps by himself and warmups sans bucket.