"Referees missed some stuff": Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman weigh in on Evan Rodrigues's embellishment penalty 

There was controversy during Game 2 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers when Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues was given a two-minute minor penalty for embellishment after being hit from behind by Leafs forward Scott Laughton.

The incident occurred midway through the second period. As Rodrigues tried to move the puck along the boards, Laughton hit him from behind. Despite the hit, the refs gave Rodrigues a two-minute minor for embellishment.

Speaking on Sportsnet's coverage of the game, analyst Kevin Bieksa weighed in:

"I don't know – only Rodrigues knows. Obviously, if he is embellishing, we got it wrong, or he's selling it. But he leaves. [head coach Paul] Maurice is mad. His trainer says something to Maurice. I don't really know if it's embellishment or not."

Following the play, Nate Schmidt jumped in to square off with Scott Laughton. Schmidt was subsequently assessed a two-minute minor for roughing, while Laughton received a double minor, adding up to four minutes.

Meanwhile, Rodrigues briefly exited the game but made a quick return to the ice shortly after. The dual penalties kept the play at even strength.

Fellow Sportsnet analyst Elliotte Friedman added:

“The one thing I'll say is embellishment has been a scourge on these playoffs, and there's a reason there have been more this year — because it's been a big problem. I just don't know how you can look at that and say that one's embellishment."

The Panthers ultimately lost 4-3 and trail the first-round series 2-0. The Maple Leafs' goals came from Max Domi, Mitch Marner, Max Pacioretty and William Nylander. On the other hand, Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell scored for Florida.

Joseph Woll turned aside 25 shots, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots in the loss.

Analyst Ron MacLean's take on Evan Rodrigues's embellishment penalty

Ron MacLean added that calling embellishment on a hit from behind sets a troubling precedent, potentially normalizing dangerous plays.

While MacLean sees value in penalizing embellishment on routine infractions like slashes or trips, he drew a clear line when it comes to more violent, high-risk situations:

"I say you go for embellishment. But you can't do it on violent plays. That's a foot away from the ridiculous."

With the series heating up, the focus now turns to Florida, where the Panthers will look to regroup in a crucial Game 3 on home ice this Friday.