Why Was Brad Marchand Suspended Mid-Game? Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Playoffs Final Off to an Intense Start

Regular season? Handled. First round of the playoffs? In the bag. Second round? Yep, curtains closed. And now, it’s Eastern Conference Final time, and Brad Marchand’s Panthers came charging in like a pack of wild cats hungry for more. On a wild Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center, Sergei Bobrovsky turned into a brick wall, stopping 31 shots as the Panthers clawed out a 5-2 win over the Hurricanes in Game 1. Carter Verhaeghe was cooking with a goal and an assist, while Rodrigues and Nosek dropped dimes like candy; two assists each. Meanwhile, Carolina saw flashes of fight from Aho and Blake, but it wasn’t enough to cool down Florida’s flame.

It all started with a Verhaeghe power-play beauty, then Ekblad added to the fire, snapping one past Andersen. Carolina did sneak one in thanks to Aho’s slick redirection off a Jarvis dish, but then Greer went roof job, Bennett blasted a screened wrister, and Luostarinen hammered home a one-timer that had Panthers fans howling. Even Blake’s late power-play tap-in couldn’t flip the script. But let’s be real; everyone’s jaw dropped when the wildest twist hit mid-game: Brad Marchand got suspended mid-game. But… what happened there?

So here’s where things got spicy on the ice. Midway through the 3rd with the Panthers chilling on a comfy 4-1 lead, everything was cool until BigHitBot lit up X dropping a bombshell: “Trouble on the ice! NHL: Brad Marchand Game Misconduct against Shayne Gostisbehere in Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers.” And right behind that, Sportsnet rolled up with video receipts, saying, “Shayne Gostisbehere and Brad Marchand go at it after Gostisbehere fired a puck at Marchand.” Gostisbehere launched that puck at Marchand, and Marchy? Oh, he SNAPPED.

Trouble on the ice! NHL: Brad Marchand Game Misconduct against Shayne Gostisbehere in Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers.

— BigHitBot (@BigHitBot1) May 21, 2025

Gloves flew, stick raised, and in a blink; chaos. Referees were scrambling, fists were flying, and it was basically a live-action hockey soap opera set on ice. Apparently, right before that, Marchand tried to bulldoze Gostisbehere in the offensive zone with full-on shoulder cannon energy. Ghost dodged that hit like a ninja, but oh he held that receipt close, ’cause just moments later, he ripped a slapshot straight at Marchy’s chest. That’s when Marchand saw red, tossed his gloves, and got a couple licks in before it all got shut down. And yeah, he was fuming.

As Sportsnet put it, “Marchand was IRATE after he was given four minutes for roughing and a game misconduct for his tussle with Gostisbehere.” So, while Marchand got four for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct card, Gostisbehere just picked up a four-minute minor… and the Canes? They walked away with a 2-min power play.

This story is developing…

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