It was already a night that featured perhaps the worst goal ever when controversy struck in Dallas.

Early in the second period between the Wild and Stars, an errant pass skipped off of Ales Hemsky‘s skate and bounded toward Antoine Roussel who was behind the Wild’s goal. Roussel reached at the puck with his skate in what could be argued as a kicking motion — but that wasn’t what was being reviewed after the goal went in.

The puck leaped up off Roussel’s skate and landed on Devan Dubnyk‘s back. Dubnyk tried to keep the puck from sliding down into the goal and knocked the net off in the process. Should it have counted?

Here’s the NHL’s explanation from Saturday:

“At 3:54 of the second period in the Wild/Stars game, the Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine a play at the Minnesota net. Video review determined that the puck crossed the Minnesota goal line in a legal fashion prior to the net being displaced. According to Rule 78.4 “The goal frame shall be considered in its proper position when at least a portion of the flexible peg(s) are still inside both the goal post and the hole in the ice”. Good goal Dallas.“

From the NHL rule book, Rule 78.4:

“A goal shall be scored when the puck shall have been put between the goal posts by the stick of a player of the attacking side, from in front and below the crossbar, and entirely across a red line the width of the diameter of the goal posts drawn on the ice from one goal post to the other with the goal frame in its proper position. The goal frame shall be considered in its proper position when at least a portion of the flexible peg(s) are still inside both the goal post and the hole in the ice. The flexible pegs could be bent, but as long as at least a portion of the flexible peg(s) are still in the hole in the ice and the goal post, the goal frame shall be deemed to be in its proper position. The goal frame could be raised somewhat on one post (or both), but as long as the flexible pegs are still in contact with the holes in the ice and the goal posts, the goal frame shall not be deemed to be displaced.“

Basically, as long as the net’s pegs are in contact with the holes on the ice, the net is considered to be in position. The pegs can be bent and the posts can be off the ice. By that rule, this goal counts.

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Another question might be whether Dubnyk intentionally knocked the net off knowing the puck might roll in. There’s a rule for that as well. From Rule 63.6:

“In the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the Referee may award a goal…“

Either way, it’s a goal.

But what’s the real question here? Should goals like this count in the future? Yes. If the NHL is seeing less goals scored (we’ll get off this topic eventually, promise) then keep this kind of goofy, fun, harmless goal in the game.

Harmless?! But it could alter a series or determine a Cup winner, you say? The rules say it’s a goal, and as the great Dickie Dunn says in Slap Shot: “(They) tried to capture the spirit of the thing.”