Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier was handed five minutes and a game misconduct tonight for a cup check on Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis.
Spittin' Chiclets shared the clip shortly after the call.
The frame shows Balinskis, No. 26, down on the ice as Olivier, wearing an A on his sweater, stands over the play.
That's a bad look, and the major was the right call. There's no hockey reason for a stick to end up there.
It's like the guy who wins the office award on Friday and gets written up by Monday morning.
Olivier came into tonight with 2 goals on a $3,000,000 cap hit.
Balinskis had dressed for three games on an $875,000 deal.
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Mathieu Olivier's cup check on Uvis Balinskis leads to major penalty and ejection
On Saturday, Olivier dropped the gloves with Ross Johnston in St. Louis in a heavyweight tilt that drew rave reviews, even if Columbus lost that game 5-3.
Three days later, he's done for the night before the game is over.
The major hands Florida five minutes of power-play time, on a night Brady Tkachuk already has a hat trick.
Sam Reinhart has 2 power-play goals for Florida, so a five-minute advantage is a real opportunity.
Matthew Tkachuk came in leading the Panthers with 3 goals before his brother's big night.
Columbus came in at 2-2-0, and losing a forward for the rest of the night only adds to the pressure.
Rick Bowness now has to juggle his lines without one of his most physical players.
Adam Fantilli carries a $13,750,000 cap hit and had 2 points coming in, so the Blue Jackets need more from their top end too.
Does the Department of Player Safety take a closer look at this one?
Florida came into tonight at 2-2-2, still without Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand.
Columbus hosts the Rangers on Saturday, while Florida heads home to face Vancouver on Thursday.
Saturday made Olivier a highlight. Tonight could end up costing him more than one game if the league sides with the officials.
Should Mathieu Olivier be suspended for his cup check on Uvis Balinskis?
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