Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo scores goal off referee from impossible angle

Dec. 12 (UPI) — St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo hit a referee with the puck before it bounced into the goal during a win against the Florida Panthers.

Unfortunately the goal didn’t count as the first score in the Blues’ 4-3 win on Tuesday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

The sequence occurred 5:21 into the game. Bortuzzo collected the puck along the right flank following a face-off. He chipped the puck along the boards, but hit the referee in the midsection instead of finding the corner.

The puck bounced directly toward the goal and went in behind veteran net-minder Roberto Luongo. The score did not count due to Rule 85.4, which specifies that if a puck hits a referee and goes into the net, the goal shall not be allowed.

Evgenii Dadonov scored the first goal of the game toward the end of the first period for the Panthers. Ivan Barbashev tied the game 1:28 into the second period for the Blues. David Perron gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead 11 seconds later. Perron put in a second score 11:12 into the frame for a 3-1 Blues advantage.

MacKenzie Weegar cut the Blues’ lead to 3-2 34 seconds later before Mike Hoffman tied the score at 3-3 a few minutes later.

Brayden Schenn netted his seven score of the season for the game winning with 3:55 remaining.

The Blues battle the Colorado Avalanche at 8 p.m. on Friday in St. Louis. The Panthers face the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.