Panthers' win streak ends with near brawl
The Florida Panthers were less than three minutes away from extending their winning streak to 13 games. But a goal from Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen with 2:38 to play in regulation sent the game to overtime where a Daniel Sedin power play goal gave the them a 3-2 win, ending the Panthers’ winning streak.
But it’s what happened after the goal that is going to be the talk of the NHL.
That is when the two teams nearly found themselves in a bench-clearing brawl, and everybody was getting into it.
Here is a look at the whole thing.
How this all started seems to be up for debate.
Sedin was seen pointing at the Panthers’ bench during the Canucks’ celebration, while Derek Dorsett started to get into it with Panthers’ backup goalie Al Montoya who was sitting on the bench. But there is also talk that Panthers tough-guy Shawn Thornton helped get things moving along as well.
Hearing it was Thornton who was having words from Florida bench which may have started things. #Canucks #panthers.
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) January 12, 2016
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who was outstanding once again during the game, came charging back out of the tunnel as this was going on and started jabbing his stick at Canucks players, and even Panthers coach Gerard Gallant was in the middle of it. And he looked like a man that was in no mood to mess around. Then word surfaced after the game that Gallant had to leave to attend his mother’s funeral.
Sadly Gallant had to leave early to fly home to mom’s funeral #FlaPanthers
— Harvey Fialkov (@hfialkov) January 12, 2016
Sedin was asked after the game about what started it, and he placed the blame on one unnamed member of the Panthers.
#Canucks Full Henrik Sedin quote on what sparked the melee is below: pic.twitter.com/l02VTqACp3
— Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Metro) January 12, 2016
Just an insane end to an incredible winning streak.
No matter who started it or why it happened, there is one important thing we need to discuss here.
If you watch the above video the whole way through and get to the 2:24 mark, you hear Panthers announcer and Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin say this about the Sedin twins.
“Oh my God I see the Sedin’s are pointing fingers now. Normally they only use those fingers to lick the peanut butter off of their bread. What are they doing pointing fingers?”
What? WHAT?!
What does that mean? How does one use a finger to lick peanut butter off of bread? Why would you want to lick peanut butter off of bread when it tastes so good on bread? What planet are you on, Denis Potvin?
Even with the loss the Panthers still earned a point in the standings and increased their lead in the Atlantic Division. They are now 18-3-1 in their past 22 games.
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