Elliotte Friedman delivers his opinion on Matthew Tkachuk embellishment call

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on the embellishment call against Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday.

The incident unfolded after Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal received a hooking penalty in the second period. After falling on the ice, Tkachuk was given a two-minute embellishment penalty.

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On Sportsnet, Friedman noted that the embellishment call against Matthew Tkachuk was unpopular. He suggested that referees are struggling to judge these situations accurately due to frequent embellishments by players, which is impacting officiating.

"I don't think anybody liked the embellishment call, but embellishment has been a big problem in the playoffs, and as a result, I think the referees are really screwed up about it ... but I think a number of players have been doing it so much during the postseason that I think it has affected the referees ability to judge this properly. So the players and the teams have to stop it," Friedman said."

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Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes avoided the sweep after defeating the Florida Panthers 3-0 in Game 4 at Amerant Bank Arena. Game 5 returns to PNC Arena on Wednesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Carolina Hurricanes win first Conference Final game in 19 years

Before Game 4 on Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes held an unwanted NHL record for the most consecutive Conference Finals losses, with 15 straight defeats.

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However, their 3-0 win in Game 4 marked their first Conference Final game victory in 19 years since 2006 and prevented a series sweep by the Florida Panthers. Before this, the Hurricanes were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Boston Bruins (2019), and Florida Panthers (2023) in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After a scoreless first period, Logan Stankoven scored for the Hurricanes, giving them a 1-0 lead at 10:45 in the second period. In the final three minutes, Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal added empty-net goals, securing a 3-0 victory for the Hurricanes, their first win in the series against the Florida Panthers.

Frederick Andersen made 20 saves in the Hurricanes' shutout win.

Also Read: NHL twitter react to Jesperi Kotkaniemi's flying hit attempt at Seth Jones

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta