looking up Where did my question go? I’ll try again:
(DISCLAIMER: I do not know diddly about ice hockey rules - please excuse my ignorance)
When watching a recent Stanley Cup match, I noticed that one team’s goalie was not playing in the net. I didn’t understand why the goalie wasn’t covering the net. This seemed really stupid to me, because the other team scored easily in an open net.
What was I missing?
Apparently goallie dude was pulled.
On preview, I see I was right! 
Pulling the goalie gives that team a one man advantage at the other end of the net, increasing their odds of scoring a goal. It increases the odds of the other team scoring as well, which is why it is only done near the end of the game with the one team behind. If the leading team gets an empty net goal, what’s the harm? You were going to lose anyway.
ZenBeam is right. You can pull the goalie at any time to get an extra attacker. Usually, you would do this if you are trailing by a goal or two with a short time left in the game.
Often, you’ll see the goalie pulled when a delayed penalty is called. In hockey, if the ref sees a penalty, he raises his arm. When the offending team (call them team A) touches the puck he blows his whistle. When Team B’s goalie sees the ref raise his arm, he will often head to the bench for an extra attacker: he knows that when team A touches the puck the play will stop, but play will continue until that happens.
I think he’s referring to Hasek of the Red Wings who made a habit of leaving the net. Most goalies don’t go as far astray as Hasek does.
Some times an agressive coach will pull a goalie at other times during the game. I remember John Muckler pulling the Oiler’s goalie (Bill Ranford, if I recall) just before the end of the second period in a playoff game. The other team scored, and Muckler took some heat over it.
To expand on what Lord Derfel said: When a team is given a penalty, the play continues until that team touches the puck (or else they’d take intentional penalties when the other team was in a dangerous position in order to stop a play). So if the other team still has possession, they might as well pull the goalie and get another attacker on the ice, because the other team can’t possibly score.
Funny. I would have guessed “pulling a goalie” meant feeling up your date (i.e., using your hands).
Hasak didn’t get a goal scored against him while he was “out of the crease”. However, he does go out of the goalie crease (which drives me crazy!!!) to help out the defense. But really pulling the goalie is to give an extra attacker on the opponent’s net, which was the same thing Sam, Lord, et. al said.
One team can only have 6 men on the ice, including the goalie. So when times are really, really, tough, you can take out the goalie to have an extra “out” man, who is someone who can go an score a goal. Then the opposing team only has 5 men on the ice, and you have 5. Just an extra guy to get by the defense.
Sorry, meant you have 6 for extra guy to get by defense!