Andrew Shaw uses his head and nearly finds another way to win

Andrew Shaw almost outdid himself.

The Blackhawks forward, who beat the Bruins in triple overtime in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup final with his “shin-pad moment,” appeared to find an even more resourceful way of winning a playoff game Tuesday night.

With the Hawks on power play in the second overtime of Game 2 of the Western Conference final, Shaw momentarily ended the game at the 8:47 mark when he headed the puck into the goal like a soccer player. Patrick Kane’s shot had bounced high into the air in front of Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen and as it came down Shaw literally head-butted the puck into the net.

“Everyone’s always telling you to use your head when you’re out there,” Shaw said. “I think I just went out there and did that.”

Unfortunately for Shaw, that is an illegal play — no player can use anything but his stick to intentionally push the puck into the goal. But the play was so unique that even hockey experts weren’t sure if it was legal or not. Only after officials went to a video review was the play ruled “no goal.”

It was more of an instinctive reaction by Shaw, who said he knew the play was not legal and “tried to sell it” with his celebration. A lot of fans watching the game thought Shaw should get credit for the goal just for the inventiveness of the play. He agreed.

“I understand [the ruling], but I think if anyone would ever pull that off it should be a goal. Just how cool it is,” Shaw said.

Shaw said he had seen Devante Smith-Pelly (the former Ducks player now with the Canadiens) try a similar play in the 2011 Memorial Cup playoffs in the OHL, but that also was disallowed. But in the moment, it was all he could think to do.

“It was just a reaction,” Shaw said. “You do whatever you can to get the puck across that line.”

In the aftermath of the Hawks’ 3-2 victory in triple overtime — settled without dispute by Marcus Kruger’s tip-in — Shaw had a good time with the goal that didn’t count.

“I’ve played a few games of soccer growing up,” Shaw said. “I’ve got a pretty god melon on me.”

At the time though, it turned into a tough moment for the Hawks, who had to re-start their engines after thinking they had won the game.

“I didn’t know how it went in,” goalie Corey Crawford said. “Once we saw it on the Jumbotron … C’mon — don’t tease us like that.”

“I didn’t really see what he did but when you see the replay you kind of see it’s a soccer move. It’s not allowed,” defenseman Johnny Oduya said. “I didn’t know really the rules on that if you can do that. If it goes off you I think it’s OK, but it’s the movement toward the net I think it’s not allowed.

“I didn’t really know what happened on that, but if it would’ve been FIFA it would’ve been a pretty nice goal.”

Almost lost in the excitement of Shaw’s header was the fact that he previously scored a goal that counted — camped in front of Andersen, he redirected a Duncan Keith shot on a power play to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead just 2:14 into the game. Shaw led the Hawks with seven shots on goal.