Jake Oettinger was on the receiving end of the NHL's crackdown on goaltenders on Friday night, when he was assessed a delay of game penalty for removing his mask during play.
Oettinger took a Mike Zibanejad backhander off the mask, undoing one of his helmet straps. When he tried getting the referees' attention and couldn't, he took it upon himself to just remove his mask.
Take a look:
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The Rangers didn't score on the ensuing powerplay, so in that sense it was a wash. But they did score with :01 second on the clock, thanks to the heroics of K'Andre Miller.
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New York took the game in overtime, all said and done. While Oettinger's penalty did not have any sort of indirect consequence on the game's conclusion, the Stars have a legitimate reason to be upset.
Oettinger's mask was compromised, putting him in danger if play didn't stop. On the flip side, if the other team has possession, he is basically robbing them of a scoring chance.
Did Oettinger deserve a penalty on this play?
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