Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte sparked fury on Wednesday night after escaping punishment for what appeared to be a spear on an opponent during a heated playoff clash.
Brawl Erupts in Game 6
During the Penguins' Game 6 showdown with the Philadelphia Flyers, Lizotte was first sent crashing into his own goaltender by Canadian winger Porter Martone, igniting a wild brawl. Several furious Penguins players took their frustrations out on Martone and teammate Owen Tippett, who also appeared to shove Lizotte as he fell.
Despite Martone being pushed into the boards and onto the ice by Noel Acciari, Lizotte rose to his feet and made a beeline for him as referees attempted to intervene.
Spearing Incident Ignites Outrage
As one official tried to separate the players, Lizotte produced what many considered a dirty move, leaving Martone in agony. The act appeared to be a spear — when a player illegally jabs an opponent with the tip of their stick blade. Yet, the officials failed to penalize him.
Social media erupted with criticism. One fan fumed on X: "That's complete BS. You can't miss an obvious penalty in a big game." Another posted: "@NHL spearing is allowed now right?" A third commented: "what a thug." A fourth added: "@NHL you missed it. AGAIN." One user concluded: "this is disgusting."
Potential Consequences
Spearing typically results in a five-minute major penalty and automatic game misconduct. The Flyers entered Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead, meaning a victory would advance them to the second round. If the Penguins level the series, a decisive Game 7 awaits in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
