Dave Hakstol Did Steve Mason a Favor by Challenging Sabres' 3rd Goal

Many, though not all hockey games, have a tipping point or pivotal moment that factors into the outcome.
 
Sometimes it’s obvious what it was and when the moment occurred. Other times, it’s overshadowed by something else on the ice.
 
Ask the Flyers which moment would define their come-from-behind 4-3 shootout victory over Buffalo on Tuesday and the response will be virtually unanimous: when Dmitry Kulikov leveled Jakub Voracek with a high hit that made contact to the head in the third period.
 
Voracek was forced off the ice under the NHL’s concussion protocol.
 
That hit incensed the Flyers, who went on to score two power-play goals and tie game, 3-3. The comeback was on.
 
Yet there was a less obvious, but significant point that happened late in the second period and it concerned goalie Steve Mason.
 
Matt Moulson had given Buffalo a 3-0 lead on Michal Neuvirth at 15:43, when Flyers coach Dave Hakstol elected to make a goalie switch.
 
Rather than call a simple timeout to buy Mason some warm-up time and allow his team to collect itself on the bench, Hakstol challenged the goal, claiming “goalie interference.”
 
Replays won’t show any direct interference on the shot itself. Mason was speared several seconds before the play developed.
 
Hakstol knew the goal would likely not be overturned, but his strategy was to buy time for Mason and his team. By using a challenge, he knew the review process would take a lot longer than the 60-second timeout.
 
Either way, he was going to use his only timeout.
 
“You know what, I think we needed a timeout at that time, anyway,” Hakstol said coyly. “Pretty low probability of it being successful. Everything worked out well in the end.”
 
Mason appreciated what his coach did, too. Buying extra time for you?
 
“Yeah, probably,” Mason replied. “Regardless of the situation, you’re sitting on the bench, you know? You’re not really gauged as much as when you’re playing, obviously. So, you just try and ramp things up as quickly as possible.”
 
Mason had two saves in that shortened period, five in the third period and one in the overtime to register his second victory.
 
“There’s a never-quit attitude in this room,” he said. “We showed in Chicago — we were just talking about that. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to close that one out.
 
“But guys have a belief that you get one [moment] and it comes. [Travis Konecny] got us going with his first NHL goal, which is great. The guys really pushed to capitalize on their chances.” ​