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Isles-Stars game ends with ejection, review and screaming
New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Islanders-Stars game ends with ejection, review and Patrick Roy screaming

The New York Islanders' 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night ended with complete mayhem that included an ejection, Islanders coach Patrick Roy screaming and a replay review on what could have been a potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal.

It is probably the most chaotic ending of the 2025-26 NHL season to date.

Here's what happened.

Mikko Rantanen ejected for hit that enraged Patrick Roy

Things really started to pop off when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was ejected for boarding Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov with just 27 seconds remaining. 

Rantanen was assessed a match penalty for the hit, resulting in Roy screaming at him between the benches.

Roy is no stranger to these sorts of altercations in his head-coaching career, and he has repeatedly gotten himself into verbal — and nearly physical — altercations with opponents. His first game as an NHL head coach with the Colorado Avalanche nearly resulted in him climbing over the glass to fight then-Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau. 

He has passion. 

But that was only the start of the crazy ending.

Potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal overturned on replay review

As the Islanders were attempting to cling to a one-goal lead, the Stars appeared to tie the game with a buzzer-beating goal that would have sent the game to overtime, completing a wild comeback that started with a goal just one minute earlier.

The only problem: The goal was taken away when it was determined that Stars forward Jason Robertson interfered with goalie David Rittich.

Robertson definitely makes contact with Rittich in the crease, and he is responsible for making every possible effort to avoid that. But it is also true that Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock gives him a pretty good hit that sends him into the crease and into Rittich. 

The officials and NHL clearly did not think that was the cause of the interference and overturned the goal, securing the Islanders win. Goaltending interference can be a pretty subjective call. In this case, it did not favor the Stars. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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