NHL Player Safety stays quiet on Verhaeghe, and people cry Panthers bias...again!

Florida's 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators had enough bite already, then the late-second incident poured gasoline on it. Verhaeghe took Zub down from behind, and the temperature in the building changed instantly.

The official call was a two-minute minor for boarding at 15:01 of the second period, and that's where the argument starts. A lot of fans saw numbers, a shove, and boards close enough to make it dangerous.

On Sunday, the league silence did the rest. As of Sunday evening, NHL.com's Player Safety page still had no hearing, suspension, or fine posted for Verhaeghe, which usually tells you the book is closed.

That's when the familiar refrain showed up again, «the Panthers always get away with it.» I'm not buying that, because it's more frustration than evidence, and it ignores how often Florida ends up on the wrong side too.

As a Panthers fan, I'd rather talk about standards than vibes, because vibes turn into conspiracy real fast.

If you want proof the Panthers don't live in some magic bubble, the league's own Player Safety log shows Florida names getting tagged. Anton Lundell was fined for high-sticking on Dec. 28, and A.J. Greer was fined earlier this season too.

Does that mean Verhaeghe's play was «fine,» not necessarily. It means the league already has mechanisms to punish Florida when it thinks a line was crossed, and it does not hesitate to use them.

The real issue is consistency, because everyone has a folder of «why wasn't that five» clips. Ottawa fans are mad today, another fanbase will be mad Tuesday, and the NHL will still be explaining nothing.

So if no supplemental discipline comes, it won't be because Florida wears a certain jersey. It'll be because Player Safety looked at the same replays we did and decided two minutes was enough, for better or worse.