Fucale, Hagelin Talked About Own Goal: ‘It Happens… It Was The Right Play’

Washington Capitals netminder Zach Fucale earned himself another start after a strong outing in Minnesota and also said that he chatted with Carl Hagelin about a strange play that ended his shutout bid — and added that there are no hard feelings whatsoever.

So far through his career, he has only surrendered one goal on 50 shots against, and he also smashed the NHL record for the longest start to a career without allowing a goal (138:17 minutes).

However, in Minnesota, his shutout streak ended in a rather odd fashion, as Carl Hagelin accidentally scored on the Capitals’ empty net on a delayed penalty call to put the Wild on the board.

While the play ended the shutout bid and proved costly in a 3-2 shootout loss, it’s something that Hagelin and Fucale talked about — and moved on from rather quickly.

“We chatted after the game,” Fucale said after Monday’s practice. “It happens. Once every, I don’t know, second year, three years? Just the way it played out.”

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The 26-year-old netminder also said that the goal was unfortunate, but that it was out of anyone’s control since it resulted from a play that shoul have happened.

“Just the way it played out. We were talking about it after the game, it was the right play,” Fucale explained. “You’re not just going to give it to them. It was the right play, and it just happened the way it happened. So nobody’s worried about that. It’s just a hockey play and it is what it is. It’s all good.”

In three appearances so far for Washington, Fucale is 1-0-1 with a .980 save percentage and 0.42 GAA. He also has one shutout, which he posted in his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 11. He became the first netminder in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

Fucale and the Capitals are ready to move forward and try to snap a three-game slide against the Bruins on Monday. It will be Fucale’s second straight start and his first NHL game on home ice.