Another Florida Panthers game and another big hit. This time it came from Panthers’ center Eetu Luostarinen with just 3:01 left in the first period. Luostarinen was in hot pursuit of Carolina’s Jackson Blake as he chased the puck into his defensive zone. However, things went wrong when Blake switched up his pace, kicking up some ice to slow down while the Cats’ center didn’t. The result was a devastating hit.

Luostarinen slammed so into Blake with his shoulder that the Canes’ forward flew into the boards. What’s worse? He slammed into the boards headfirst and stayed down. The Panthers’ star followed suit into the boards, too, but that was only because he couldn’t control the momentum even after colliding with Blake. Unfortunately for Luostarinen, Blake stayed down for a while, as the on-ice officials immediately handed him a 5-minute penalty.

Yet, the night got so much worse for the Florida Panthers’ player because the refs reviewed the call for confirmation. “After reviewing the play, the call is confirmed. No. 27 Florida, 5 in-game for boarding,” announced the official. The NHL’s Rule 41.5 states that a game misconduct is automatic when you get a penalty for boarding. “So that’s the night for Eetu Luostarinen,” said the announcer as a chorus of boos rained down from the stands.

However, fans on the internet didn’t seem to unanimously agree with the home crowd at Sunshine, Florida, who booed the call. “This is a textbook case for a boarding major and game misconduct,” declared a Carolina Hurricanes fan after watching the clip of the hit that Sportsnet shared. The official decision would reflect such a view, but many didn’t agree with his assessment.

The Florida Panthers forward undeniably hit Blake. The hit was so severe that he went down and off the ice, only returning once the second period started. However, many hockey fans argued that the hit was unavoidable, and Eetu Luostarinen didn’t intentionally hit his fellow NHL star.

Florida Panthers fans argued against the call

Nearly all Panthers fans came to the 26-year-old’s defense. Their argument was simple. Jackson Blake suddenly slammed the brakes, leaving Luostarinen with no choice but a collision. “2 min max, Blake attempted to duck and put himself in a dangerous spot. How this was ruled a 5 is beyond me…” one Cats fan questioned the on-ice officials’ decision to eject the forward. Meanwhile, another questioned the consistency of the league itself.

“You can intentionally chop someone’s ankle off… but when momentum of a play with a fall happens, it’s a 5 and a game. Unreal inconsistency by the NHL. It’s a hook all day, but no way a 5 and a game,” commented another Florida Panthers fan. If you can’t place the ‘chop someone’s ankle off’ reference, let us refresh your memory. The hockey fan was referring to Darnell Nurse’s slash on Roope Hintz.

As the Panthers are battling the Hurricanes in the Eastern conference final, the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars are doing the same in the West. The incident the fan referenced happened in Game 2, where Nurse reacted to a minor hit from Hintz by taking a slash at his ankles. The ‘on the ankle’ slash did huge damage to Hintz, who nearly had to be carried off the ice. Yet, the officials let Nurse off the hook with a 2-minute penalty.

So the fan argued how Nurse with an intentional slash could get off with a minor penalty, while the Florida Panthers star got a major and game misconduct just because he couldn’t slow down in time. But not everyone saw the incident from this perspective. “Good call, have to forecheck smarter there, even if unintentional,” commented one fan.

While the netizen agreed that Luostarinen may not have originally intended to hit the Canes’ forward, he should’ve been more careful while cashing the puck. That being said, this wasn’t the only incident that the Panthers didn’t agree with in the last two games. Brad Marchand lost his cool in Game 2 after Shayne Gostisbehere shot a puck at him. While he dropped his gloves in a heartbeat, the officials disapproved the veteran’s behavior.

They also handed Marchand a major and ejected him in the third period. And not just the fans; Marchand himself was furious at the decision. Yet, the decision going Carolina’s way changed nothing. “Carolina didn’t score, not 1 time in that 5 minutes. They’re getting swept, unfortunately,” commented one disappointed fan. The Canes couldn’t score against the Florida Panthers at all, period.

As per The Athletic, Carolina’s power play ended at 1:51 in the second period when Jesperi Kotkaniemi went to the box for cross-checking. It’s safe to say that while the Cats’ fan didn’t agree with what happened, none of it will matter unless the Hurricanes win Game 4.