The Florida Panthers seem to be unstoppable at the moment. But for Brad Marchand, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final ended early. He was ejected after a controversial incident with Shayne Gostisbehere, and postgame, fans were quick to slam the Carolina defenseman for what they saw as a deliberate cheap shot.
After eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Panthers continued their hot streak with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 on Tuesday. Florida won 5–2, but what most people talked about afterward was the incident between Marchand and Gostisbehere, which occurred with just under 12 minutes left in regulation.
The Hurricanes defenseman had the puck with Marchand pressuring on the forecheck, when all of a sudden, Gostisbehere shot the puck directly at Marchand. It looked intentional—and at the time, the Panthers had a comfortable three-goal lead. Marchand had every right to be upset about the cheap shot and went after Gostisbehere to drop the gloves.
Gostisbehere, however, refused to fight. After some intense wrestling, the officials managed to separate the two. Marchand was assessed two roughing minors and a 10-minute misconduct.
Postgame, Gostisbehere admitted he had shot the puck at Marchand deliberately, and on social media, many slammed him for not standing up for his actions when Marchand challenged him.
“Shooting a puck at a guy and then refusing to drop your gloves is such a bitch move,” one fan said.
“Intentionally shooting the puck at someone and then trying to run away from the fight is such a coward move,” another added.
“Can’t believe I’m rooting for Marchand in a fight. Canes are crazy unlikable,” a third wrote.
WE GOT A TILT IN GAME 1 OF THE ECF
Marchand went at Gostisbehere, he responded by shooting the puck at him and now they're going at it 😱 pic.twitter.com/yclGBfL5un
If someone fires one at you like Gostisbehere did, you should have the full right to react the way Marchand did, no? pic.twitter.com/u9ZsxCPYEj
READ MORE: William Nylander under fire for this controversial play in Game 7
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