Mark Jankowski Scored, the Goal Didn't Count, and the NHL Just Proved Offside Is Completely Broken

The Carolina Hurricanes thought they had won Game 2 against Ottawa last night. The benches cleared. The building erupted. Fans were already heading to the parking lot with a 2-0 series lead in their back pocket. Then the NHL decided none of that actually happened.

With 2:42 left in the first overtime period, Mark Jankowski buried what looked like the biggest goal of his life to give Carolina the win. Except 30 seconds before that moment, something went wrong on the zone entry, and the refs went to review. The result: no goal. Overtime continued. Everything that happened after that offside call, apparently, never existed.

So What Exactly Was Offside Here?

Here's where it gets stupid. You'd think Jordan Martinook entering the zone before the puck crossed the blue line would be the issue. Nope. The NHL's explanation centered on Jordan Staal: he "had possession but not control" when he entered the zone with the puck. That's right. Not possession OR control. Both at the same time. That's the standard now.

Think about that for a second. A player can possess the puck but not control it while crossing the blue line, and that's enough to erase an entire goal. The NHL has somehow managed to create a rule even more complicated than what constitutes a catch in the NFL. We're now splitting hairs between possession and control like we're parsing a legal document, not watching hockey.

The Real Mess: A Goal Waved Off, a Penalty Shot Awarded

But here's the part that makes zero sense. The goal gets called back for offside. Everything after that moment shouldn't count, right? Wrong. Somehow, Carolina was still awarded a penalty shot from the play. So a goal doesn't count, but a penalty does. Only in the NHL could you wave off a goal and then hand out a penalty shot from the exact same play.

Jordan Martinook stepped up for that penalty attempt in what should have been a Series-clinching moment. He missed. But the hockey gods weren't done being kind to Carolina yet. In the second overtime period, Martinook got his moment to deliver again. He scored, and this time it counted.

Ottawa had been gifted a second chance at life after that offside reversal. They couldn't capitalize. That's how you know it's just not their time. Meanwhile, Carolina walks out with a 2-0 series lead, the Hurricanes get their win, and the NHL's offside rule remains as broken as ever. Rod Brind'Amour probably dodged a meltdown he wasn't ready for.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.