CSKA Moscow have their tactics used against them in overtime loss to Vityaz Podolsk (w/video)

Let's flashback to early-December in the KHL, when one of the league's most recognizable teams, CSKA Moscow, won two games in a row in a unique way.

On December 2nd against Lokomotiv Yarsolavl and December 9th against their rivals, Dynamo Moscow, CSKA won both games in overtime by pulling their goalie to give them an extra forward, a tactic we have yet to see in any high-level league in North America. Former NHLers scored both those goals for CSKA Moscow with Mikhail Grigorenko scoring the December 2nd goal and Nikita Nesterov scoring the goal on December 9th.

About ten days after CSKA Moscow's second win in that fashion, Team Russia decided to try it out in their Channel One Cup game against Finland, except it didn't work. Finland's player took the puck in on a breakaway towards the empty net, but was tripped from behind by the Russian player. Because it was an empty net when he was tripped on a breakaway, the goal is given to Finland.

That brings us to yesterday, January 7th, in a game between CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk. Vityaz decided to try out CSKA's tactics in overtime by pulling their goalie and it was successful, giving them a 4-3 win.

Army Men now definitely know that they're not the only ones familiar with 'pulling-goalie-in-OT' trick. pic.twitter.com/zkR3hJKDfF— KHL (@khl_eng) January 7, 2022

Would this interesting tactic make its way to the National Hockey League? It's highly unlikely given there is a rule that tries to prevent it from happening. If you pull your goalie in overtime in the NHL and the opposing team scores on the empty net, then you don't get the one point for reaching overtime.

"Clubs who pull their goaltender for an extra forward during the overtime period (other than on a delayed penalty) will be subject to the potential forfeiture of their one (1) point earned for the tie at the end of regulation in the event the opposing team scores into the empty net," the NHL's rulebook says.

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