The NHL Conference Finals are underway, with the Florida Panthers taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1. And to no one’s surprise, things are already getting out of hand as Panthers’ forward Brad Marchand and Canes’ Shayne Gostisbehere let the fists fly in the 3rd period with 11:45 on the clock. Things got out of hand at a moment’s notice, as Gostisbehere “shot a puck at” Marchand near the blue line.

The former Boston Bruins captain wasted no time in engaging Gostisbehere. Marchand immediately staked toward the Cane defenseman, stick raised. While the 32-year-old blocked it with his stick, the NHL veteran took off his gloves at lightning speed and landed a bunch of hits. The Hurricane’s star didn’t even get enough time to drop his own gloves before taking a swing and missing. The officials finally stepped in after Marchand took Gostisbehere down and slapped both players with penalties.

However, despite Gostisbehere seemingly escalating things after the puck hit, Brad Marchand earned the bigger penalty. Officials sent the Carolina defenseman to the bench for two minutes for roughing, as per Sportsnet. Meanwhile, they handed Marchand two penalties, including a 10-minute misconduct, and double the time (four minutes) they handed Gostisbehere for roughing.

The officials’ decision immediately divided fans. Many questioned why Marchand got such a huge penalty when Gostisbehere shot the puck. Then again, it’s crucial to note that Marchand did attempt to hit the 11-year NHL veteran along the boards moments before shooting the puck at Marchand. That being said, the 36-year-old didn’t agree with the officials’ decision either.

The Florida Panthers forward seemed livid and argued with the referee from the bench and all the way to the tunnel. While the broadcast didn’t catch exactly what Brad Marchand said, it’s safe to say he didn’t like that misconduct ruling. Yet, it’s quite possible that the officials ruled him as the ‘aggressor’ per the NHL‘s Rule 46.1: Fighting. Although not ideal for the Panthers, it was too late for the Canes to capitalize on the ejection.

Brad Marchand and Co. took the wind out of the Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Game 1 against the defending champions looked very different from their Round 2 Game 1 against the Capitals. While the Canes did have to win that one in overtime, the scoreline didn’t reflect Carolina’s dominance. “I felt like we didn’t play our style of hockey tonight. We kind of let them dictate the game,” said Caps forward Dylan Strome after the defeat.

While the Capitals hit back in Game 2, the Hurricanes adjusted and continued to dominate, ultimately winning the series 4-1. Meanwhile, Florida dealt with Carolina’s offense and smashed their defense, winning the first game 5-2. The Canes only managed to score one goal after Brad Marchand let the ice. Goalscorer A.J. Greer explained how they carried the momentum.

“There wasn’t much time off here from Game 7… We came in with a mindset and a willingness to compete. We know our game, we know what to do, and we got right to it,” Greer told the press as per Reuters. While the Canes came into the game with a longer break, their fresh legs couldn’t stop the Panthers’ scoring onslaught. However, Canes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t seem too disappointed.

“I didn’t hate our game tonight,” Rod Brind’Amour said post-game. “It’s going to be hard. It’s going to go back and forth. I think we had our opportunities early in the game, too,” he added. While the Hurricanes did struggle to get into their stride, it’s only the first game. And let’s not forget how they responded to the Capitals’ defeat in Game 2. Then again, unlike the Caps, the Cats are the defending champions.