The Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers faced off at Lenovo Center for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final series. Even though the Canes gave it their all, they ended up losing to the Panthers 5-2. It looked like a big offensive win for Florida, but the MVP title went to goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made an impressive 31 saves out of 33 shots. He was amazing! But, there’s another player who’s really grabbing the attention of NHL fans. It was Brad Marchand. What did he do?
The Panthers forward went after Shayne Gostisbehere while the Hurricanes defenseman was fighting for the puck in his own zone, aiming for what seemed like a late hit. Even though the refs didn’t blow the whistle on that play, Gostisbehere decided to take action himself and shot the puck at Marchand just moments after. Marchand was really furious and charged at the Canes player, and they both started throwing punches.
While the NHL officials gave Gostisbehere a two-minute penalty for roughing, Marchand ended up with a 10-minute misconduct and an additional four minutes for roughing. But wait, there’s more. Aaron Ekblad from Florida shared his thoughts on what happened in Game 1. He said, “I mean, it happens. It is what it is. I mean, we block shots all the time, so what’s the difference? Intent or not, it’s the same.”
So, the big question is whether Gostisbehere hit Marchand on purpose, right? According to Ekblad, it really doesn’t make a difference in a hockey game, even if the Canes defenseman did that to the Panthers forward. That’s just another blocked shot. Ekblad highlights how blocking shots is just part of the game and points out that the result is often getting hit by the puck.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Playoffs-Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs May 5, 2025 Toronto, Ontario, CAN Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand 63 skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of game one in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto Scotiabank Arena Ontario CAN, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJohnxE.xSokolowskix 20250505_jhp_ss9_0252
This perspective highlights the physical challenges and risks that players regularly take on. So, what did the Canes defenseman have to say about that scuffle he got into with the Panthers forward?
“I was pretty (ticked) off. He tried to take a run at me. I shot the puck at him. It is what it is. Had a little tuffle,” Gostisbehere mentioned. While Ekblad did mention about this commotion, the Panthers defenseman was not so clean himself during the match.
Brad Marchand’s teammate caught the attention
In Game 1 between the two teams, there were a ton of penalties. So, after Brad Marchand got that 10-minute misconduct, there was this play that really grabbed everyone’s attention. Aaron Ekblad elbowed Carolina’s Jackson Blake in the head. Well, that’s dangerous. When Blake scored at 16:19 in the third period, there was this recap video that caught Ekblad just casually charging behind him and giving the Canes forward a little elbow nudge.
That hit took Blake down on the ice right away, but the Panthers defenseman didn’t get a penalty, which left the crowd scratching their heads. This wasn’t the first time Ekblad has elbowed a player in his career. In Florida’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 4 saw Ekblad deliver a strong elbow right to the head of forward Brandon Hagel.
Even though there weren’t any penalties during the game, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety decided to suspend Ekblad for two games afterward. So, this is the way Florida plays aggressively, and who knows, they might really amp up their game heading into Game 2.
The post Florida Star Leaves Bold Comment on Brad Marchand Ejection During Hurricanes Conference Finals Round 1 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
