Team USA Beat Russia In Olympic Hockey Thanks To Controversial Call

In a huge match-up with Team USA, a potential game-winning goal by the Russian hockey team with less than five minutes remaining, was waved off after a controversial decision by the officials.

The Americans would go on to win in a shootout and earn two points in the standings. Meanwhile the Russians get just one point for the overtime loss instead of three points for the regulation win.

It looked like the Russians had taken a 3-2 lead over the Americans when Pavel Datsyuk scored on a long shot through traffic.

The players celebrated and it looked like the Russians might win the game.

But the BBC camera quickly noticed that the net was slightly off its moorings and in international hockey, no goal can be scored if the net is dislodged at all.

The net came loose a full ten seconds earlier when American goalie Jonathan Quick got caught out of position behind the net. When he tried to slide across back to the other side, he ran into the net and dislodged. Quick almost certainly knew that the net was off the moorings, but nobody else noticed.

With the players and the crowd, including Vladimir Putin, still celebrating, the officials huddled.

And decided to go to the replay.

Replay clearly showed that Quick had knocked the net loose.

The refs had no choice but to wave off the goal.

Datsyuk was not happy, but seemed to understand.