Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes ended in a decisive 5-2 win for the defending Stanley Cup champions, but the third period provided the most talked-about moment.
With Florida leading 4-1, tempers boiled over between Panthers forward Brad Marchand and Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.
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Earlier in the period, Marchand attempted to take a run at Gostisbehere, charging toward him on the boards.
The Hurricanes blueliner didn’t forget, and just a few moments later, he shot a puck directly at Marchand from close range, striking him in the elbow and sparking a fight.
“Heated,” Gostisbehere said after the game. “I was pretty pissed off. He tried to take a run at me, I shot the puck at him. It is what it is. Had a little tussle.”
Marchand immediately dropped the gloves and went after Gostisbehere. The two exchanged blows before the Panthers forward wrestled Gostisbehere to the ice. Ultimately, officials separated them.
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Marchand was assessed four minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct, effectively ending his night. Gostisbehere received a two-minute minor.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere warms up before a game against the Florida Panthers.Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was asked about his thoughts on the Marchand-Gostisbehere exchange, but he refused to comment while acknowledging he had an opinion on it.
“Yeah, I’ve got one,” Maurice said when asked for his impression. “I’ll be keeping that to myself.”
On Tuesday, the Panthers controlled the game from start to finish thanks to an impressive Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 31 of 33 shots, helping Florida improve to 6-2 on the road this postseason.
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Carolina’s loss, meanwhile, marked their 13th consecutive defeat in a conference final. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh at 8 p.m. ET.
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