There is nothing random in the fact that when describing odd-man rushes, hockey coaches and fans and announcers usually refer to them as “allowed.” That kind of language accuses. It assigns responsibility and attributes blame. The word “allowed” credits the rush not to the attacking team but the defending one. After all, stationing two defencemen at the blueline and leashing a forward to the high slot in the offensive zone douses most odd-man rushes before they start. Math.
But they still happen. That fence on the blueline occasionally cracks. The plug in the high slot sometimes pops loose.