Minnesota Wild awarded zero points even though the game went to OT

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Cooper Godin
March 30, 2024 (6:45 PM)

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A very rare scene took place in Minnesota on Saturday afternoon after the Wild were awarded zero points despite the game going to overtime.

Saturday's contest between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild was hugely important for a number of reasons. The Golden Knights were looking to hang onto the third spot in the Pacific Division, while the Wild are hanging onto very slim post-season hopes.

With the game knotted up at up 1-1, it headed to three-on-three overtime, but that's when the Minnesota Wild took a big risk and it didn't pay off at all. Wild head coach John Hynes decided to pull his goalie to give his team a 4-on-3, a tactic that has been used in the KHL in recent years.

However, the move was unsuccessful. After Logan Thompson made a save, the puck bounced right out into the slot, where William Karlsson passed it to Jonathan Marchessault, who shot it into the empty net from his own zone.

As a result, per the NHL's rulebook, the Minnesota Wild won't be given the 1 point awarded for an overtime loss because they pulled their goaltender and Vegas scored on an empty net.

"WE'VE GOT AN EMPTY NET OT WINNER 🤯

Jonathan Marchessault ends it in @Energizer overtime after the Wild pulled the goalie in attempt to pick up two points!"

With the Wild's hopes of making the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs by thread, it's understandable to take that risk to try and get the two points, but it's safe to say that the next time they go to overtime this season, Hynes will think twice before pulling his netminder.