New York Rangers Win Outdoor Game On Bizarre Goal That Never Actually Went In Net

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There's a saying in baseball that every time you go to the park, you have a chance to see something you've never seen before. Apparently, if you go into an NFL stadium to watch an NHL game, the same is true. The New York Rangers beat the Islanders on an incredibly strange goal at MetLife Stadium.

The Islanders and Rangers met Sunday to renew their rivalry. This time, the pair tangled outdoors as part of the NHL Stadium Series. The teams squared off inside MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and Giants. 

As such, several players from each of those NFL teams attended the game. 

The contest didn't disappoint, either. The Rangers scored a goal less than 90 seconds into the game. 

On the very next faceoff, Rangers forward Matt Rempe – who stands 6'8" – made his NHL debut. He promptly accepted a fight against Islanders veteran Matt Martin. And won. 

Over the next several minutes, the Islanders dominated the game. The team that plays its home games on Long Island scored three goals in a span of just over three minutes – with two of them coming less than 15 seconds apart. 

So, the first eight minutes of the game featured four goals, an NHL debut and a fight. 

Giants running back Saquon Barkley, one of the NFL players in attendance, loved every minute of an incredible first period.

Still, none of that compared to the end of the game. The Islanders led 5-3 with under five minutes to play. That's when the Rangers came alive and scored two power-play goals to tie the game and send it to overtime. 

But, you're all here to see how this ridiculous game ended. I'm not sure that I've ever seen an NHL goal where the puck never actually physically entered the net, but that's exactly how Artemi Panarin ended it for the Rangers just 10 seconds into overtime. 

Seriously, check this out: 

An Islanders' defender knocks the net off of its pegs, but because Panarin had already shot the puck, NHL rules state that if the puck enters where the net should have been, the goal counts.

Which it did. Despite the puck never actually going into the net, the Rangers won in walk-off fashion. 

New York Rangers Islanders Panarin Trocheck Stadium Series MetLife

(Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Image)

A truly insane hockey game in front of nearly 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium. There are some people who don't like outdoor games and think they're just a gimmick. 

Not this guy. I wish they played every NHL game outdoors. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.