Penguins Goalie Glove Gate: Inside NHL Playoffs’ oddest controversy

Rich Miller is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan that writes for The Pensblog and The Fantasy Fix. After Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he noticed something curious while reviewing the Bolts’ goal by defenseman Anton Stralman.

He thought he saw the puck travel through goalie Matt Murray’s glove and into the net.

“I've seen that happen in dek hockey, but never ice hockey before, naturally thinking, ‘There is just no way that could have happened.’ But I figured the internet could have some fun with it, so whatever -- I'm posting it,” he told us on Tuesday.

And so Miller posted a series of screen shots that … well, that frankly made it look as though the puck went right through the Penguins goalie’s glove. Even former Penguins goalie Brent Johnson thought it sorta looked that way.

A Facebook video of the shot seemed to back up the claim.

Miller’s initial post went viral. So did the Facebook clip, which was viewed over 548,000 times. The speculation was soon picked up around digital media. Suddenly, Miller’s curiosity was elevated into a full-on controversy: Was Murray undone by faulty equipment?

“When it took off the way it did, it was sort of like, ‘Oh god what have I done?’” said Miller.

“Then someone actually asking Matt Murray about it.”

Yes, indeed: Matt Murray, on the eve of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, was asked about the Magic Puck/Muggle Glove theory after practice on Tuesday. What did he say to these claims?

“I would say, ‘Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet,’” he said. “As a goalie, with your equipment, you kind of have a sixth sense. It becomes a part of your body. You [would] tell it went through.”

OK, but did it go through his glove?

If it had, the blame wouldn’t have fallen on Murray, but the Penguins’ equipment manager Dana Heinze, who as fate would have it is on Twitter.

“I did sort of feel bad for Dana Heinze - the equipment manager - because I was tagged in a lot of bizarre tweets sent his way,” said Miller. “But I think he took it in stride -- eventually.”

Here’s how he took it in stride: By tweeting images of the glove Murray used in Game 2, claiming there are no holes in the webbing and that the puck “went over it.”

So was it an optical illusion?

“I guess so. I think it was. I didn’t know until someone showed me the video this morning,” Murray said. “I think it was probably doctored in some way.”

Doctored video? A conspiracy to create a controversy? Is there an X-File open on this?

The Penguins took it upon themselves to finally debunk the glove theory with a reverse angle that shows the puck clearing the top of Murray’s glove.

Case closed. Well, save for one lingering question: Why didn’t Murray just blame his equipment and take himself off the hook for the goal?

“I mean, I think he should have went with it, you know?” pondered Miller. “‘Yeah, it went through my glove’ sounds better than ‘I missed it,’ but that's probably just me.”

Actually, Murray was asked that very thing, and responded with a laugh.

“I guess, yeah. It’s all in good fun. That’s the Internet for you, I guess.”

Nothing gets by that guy.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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