On Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, the Calgary Flames scored two goals. They also had two goals disallowed after video review, and they ended up losing to the Stars by a 5-2 score.
Given that the Flames are in the midst of a playoff race, the goal reviews drew extra scrutiny from Flames fans – and players – following the game.
Let’s delve into the two goal reviews and the rationale for disallowing each of them.

Connor Zary’s distinct kicking motion (14:02, first period)

With the Flames trailing 1-0, they successfully killed off a roughing minor penalty to MacKenzie Weegar and began a counter-attack following the expiry of that Stars power play.
On a rush sequence shortly after the penalty ended, Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri executed a pretty slick give-and-go play, with Zary entering the zone, passing to Kadri, and then driving towards the net. Kadri threw the puck towards the net and Zary, battling for position with Stars defender Esa Lindell.
The puck was redirected in off Zary’s skate and was called a goal on the ice.
As part of normal goal review procedures, the Situation Room in Toronto initiated a review of the goal – they review every goal on “Was it a legal goal?” grounds under Rule 37.3. After a discussion between the officials in Calgary and the Situation Room in Toronto, it was decided that Zary had violated Rule 49.2 – otherwise known as using a distinct kicking motion to redirect the puck.
Here’s the league’s official explanation:
Video review determined Calgary’s Connor Zary kicked the puck into the Dallas net. According to Rule 49.2, “A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net with his skate/foot.”

Joel Farabee’s contact with the goaltender (5:30, second period)

With the Flames (still) trailing 1-0, they kept pressing early in the second period and seemingly got rewarded.
Joel Farabee parked himself in front of the Stars net and was battling for position with Mathew Dumba in front of Casey DeSmith. As that was happening, Mikael Backlund intercepted a rim-around pass attempted by Stars defender Lian Bichsel from behind the net. Backlund held the puck, drew the Stars defenders to him, and found Blake Coleman along in the slot.
With Farabee providing a screen, Coleman beat DeSmith with a wrist shot. It was called a goal on the ice.
The Stars initiated a coach’s challenge for goaltender interference, as allowed under Rule 38.2(c). After a review, it was determined that Farabee had interfered with the goaltender sufficiently enough to violate Rule 69.3 and the goal was disallowed.
Here’s the league’s official explanation:
Video review determined Calgary’s Joel Farabee impaired Casey DeSmith’s ability to play his position in the crease prior to Blake Coleman’s goal. According to Rule 69.3, “If an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.” The decision was also made in accordance with Rule 69.1, which states in part, “The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within his goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by his actions, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.”
The Flames eventually scored (again) at 8:12 of the second period, with goal-scorer Nazem Kadri poking fun at the officials’ two previous disallowed goals by making a “legal goal” hand gesture from the bench.
The Flames ended up losing to the Stars by a 5-2 score.
Following the game, Flames head coach Ryan Huska noted that he thought both disallowed goals should have counted.
“You try to stay up on what’s being called and what’s not being called,” said Huska. “Sometimes you think there’s one that there’s no chance that’s going to stand, it stands. I mean, that’s the hard part, I think, probably for the players, more so than anything. As to what is and what isn’t a goaltender interference or a kicking motion or something like that.”
Flames alternate captain Blake Coleman shared his frustration with the two calls going the other way when speaking to the media following the game.
“You’re scoring goals and you’ve got somebody sitting by the desk just making a judgment call that influences the game,” said Coleman. “Two of them, that I thought you could put those clips side by side with a ton of different goals this year and you’re going to get different answers on every goal. That’s the ambiguity of the sport. Sometimes they go in your favour and sometimes they don’t. But in the middle of the playoff race, we’re up 3-1 in that game with those calls going our way. So, tonight was what it was. You’re not always going to agree with them. That’s just the way the game is. But sometimes the consistency, especially with the foot stuff, it just seems to be nobody really knows.”
The Flames return to action on Saturday night when they visit the Edmonton Oilers.
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