Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson said he was distracted by a tray of cheese-covered nachos thrown on the ice while Oilers winger Corey Perry scored on him in Edmonton on Tuesday night.
"That's a first," said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery, whose team hung on for a 3-2 win. "We just talked about that in the coaches' office. I don't think I've ever seen a nachos-on-the-ice National Hockey League game. Did they save them? Maybe we can bring them into the locker room."
Less than five minutes into the third period, the Oilers skated into the Capitals' zone with the nachos already having been tossed onto the ice by a fan. Center Leon Draisaitl passed the puck to Perry, who blasted a shot a few feet away from the concessions tray, beating Thompson to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Capitals goalie immediately started pointing at the nachos with his glove while complaining to the on-ice officials. Some of his teammates joined in the protest.
"I've never seen that before. Obviously, I've got to play to the whistle. That one's on me," said Thompson, who made 30 saves in the win.
"I didn't even notice them, and then guys were yelling, 'There's nachos on the ice!'" Carbery said. "I was like, 'I don't know, can we challenge that?'"
Rule 63.5, which covers objects thrown onto the ice and spectator interference, states: "In the event that objects are thrown on the ice that interfere with the progress of the game, the referee shall blow the whistle and stop the play and the puck shall be faced-off at a face-off spot in the zone nearest to the spot where play is stopped."
The nachos didn't interfere with the Oilers' skaters.
"I didn't even see them," Perry said. "I was focused on the play."
Carbery said he didn't believe there was much the officials could have done on the play. Thompson said he wasn't sure whether the rulebook covered his dilemma, and he reiterated that he just needed to play to the whistle.
"I saw the guy that threw them. Wasn't too happy. But credit to him. He got them a goal," Thompson said.
The Capitals goalie improved to an incredible 22-2-3 this season for the league's top team. He helped Washington kill a 6-on-4 power play in the final two minutes of the game for Edmonton, which was without Connor McDavid as the star center served a three-game suspension for cross-checking.
"In true Caps fashion, he delivers when we need a big save. When we need to preserve the win, he delivers," Carbery said of Thompson.
Or, to put it another way: Logan Thompson told the Edmonton Oilers it was nacho night.