Evan Rodrigues’ shocking admission on embellishment call in Game 2

The Florida Panthers fought tooth and nail to remain in contention against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Friday, the Panthers defeated the Leafs in overtime 5-4 to trail Toronto 2-1 in the second-round playoff series. 

Yet they are still reeling after Game 2, in which center Evan Rodrigues received an embellishment call. Rodrigues was hit from behind by Leafs forward Scott Laughton. He was seen in agony afterwards. 

Rodrigues returned to the locker room but returned to the ice shortly thereafter. As a result, some questioned the severity of the injury. The referees penalized him for two minutes. 

Rodrigues’s penalty left Panther fans angry at the referees. On Saturday, Rodrigues spoke out for the first time about the controversial call, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. 

He said he had no recollection of the call until his brother informed him. 

“I didn’t have a clue,” Rodrigues said. “I couldn’t believe it. My brother texted me, and I was shocked. But the game was kind of over at that point. You just move on.“ 

Embellishment in hockey is considered the same as “flopping” in basketball. In other words, a player exaggerates an injury to draw a penalty against the opposing team. 

Ultimately, Panther fans and Leafs fans view it from opposite directions, leaving analysts and commentators perplexed. 

Now that the Panthers are back in the series, how do they handle the aftereffect?

The ramifications for the Panthers

The controversial embellishment call will unleash debates about the consistency of this particular ruling for years to come. However, this could either fuel or derail the Panthers. 

It can fuel them because they can engineer a comeback and win the series outright. Therefore, it is sticking it to the Maple Leafs and their fans while further legitimizing their argument that this call was bogus.

Conversely,  the controversy could hang over their heads, and the Maple Leafs won’t let them forget about it. The Maple Leafs have a solid defense, and they could enhance their aggressive style of play to make a point. 

If that were to happen, the Maple Leafs could hold on to win the series. 

Either way, the ramifications for the Panthers are evident.