Apparently, Tuesday night's fight between Brad Marchand and Shayne Gostisbehere was just the tip of the iceberg for what was to come in a tension-filled Eastern Conference finals.
During the first period of Saturday's Game 3 between the Panthers and Hurricanes, Florida center Eetu Luostarinen put a pretty vicious hit on Carolina's Jackson Blake while chasing down a loose puck.
Referees immediately blew the whistle as Blake remained on the ice, and assessed Luostarinen with both a five-minute major and a game misconduct—resulting in ejection from the game.
Here's a look at the hit:
Eetu Luostarinen receives a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Jackson Blake 😬 pic.twitter.com/kGixnwituF
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 25, 2025
Ouch.
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals is currently tied 1-1 midway through the second period. The Panthers hold a 2-0 lead over the Hurricanes in the best-of-seven series.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Refs Eject Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen For Board-Rattling Hit on Hurricanes' Jackson Blake.
