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Refs Eject Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen For Board-Rattling Hit on Hurricanes' Jackson Blake

That's gotta hurt.
Michael Kadlick|
That's gotta hurt.
That's gotta hurt. | Screenshot via TNT.

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Carolina HurricanesFlorida Panthers

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:

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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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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