Rule 36.1 shows whose fault it is:

<<
If a player leaves the penalty bench before the time has expired,
the Penalty Timekeeper must note the time and notify the Referees at
his first opportunity.

It is the responsibility of the Penalty Timekeeper to ensure that
penalized players return to the penalty box before the puck is dropped
for the start of a new period. In the event that a player should not
be in the box, the Penalty Timekeeper should notify the Referees and
prevent the game from resuming until the player is there.
>>

A goal can be disallowed if an "ineligible player" is on the ice,
however that definition applies only to players not on the official
roster submitted before the game.

Based on this, it would appear that the goal would be allowed.


--- In hockhist@yahoogroups.com, "goaliedave" <goaliedave@...> wrote:
>
> Question for the rules junkies:
>
> Last night in Ottawa there was a screwup by the refs and penalty
box crew to start the 3rd. Richardson and the Atlanta guy fought
with less than a minute left in the second, got 5 minutes each, and
then everyone forgot about it when the 3rd started. They went out and
took a regular shift. At about the 4 and a half minute mark the ref
stops the game, skates to each bench and says um hi could we have Mr.
Richardson and his buddy in the box, sorry we forgot they shouldn't
be playing. Then 15 seconds later their 5 minutes is up and at the
whistle they skate to the bench. I was wondering what the heck was
going on, and nothing was announced or reported, but that must have
been it. Richardson has just played the shift before the whistle.
>
> I wonder what would have happened if Richardson or the Atlanta guy
had scored. Would it have counted?
>
> Dave in Whitby
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>