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Watch: NHL Player Pathetically Flops and It Backfires Spectacularly

By Dave Kovaleski April 30, 2019 at 11:22am

You can get away with flopping in the NBA, but the NHL has a different culture when it comes to such theatrics.

Just ask Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell.

Late in the second period of Game 3 between the Stars and the St. Louis Blues, Lindell flopped not once, not twice, but three times.

And the referees hit him with an embellishment penalty.

Esa Lindell sets the game back a few with this display of acting. This is embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/g5H45cTgBM

— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) April 30, 2019

Lindell went down so hard when cross-checked by Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo that he looked like a ragdoll.

Bortuzzo hit him again moments later, and Lindell went flying again.

Do you think Lindell should be suspended for those flops?

Both times, Bortuzzo pointed at Lindell, appealing to the referees that the Finnish defenseman was flopping. The refs signaled penalties on both players, giving Bortuzzo two minutes for cross-checking and Lindell two minutes for embellishment.

Then Bortuzzo hit him a third time for good measure, and Lindell went down again, this time jerking his head back in the process.

Here are the penalties. pic.twitter.com/zt7K3HtPg1

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 30, 2019

His melodramatic displays were comical, and people on social media had a lot of fun with them.

Replay of Esa Lindell embellishment. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/2vuziy8ntP

— Dustin Palmer (@dustypalamino) April 30, 2019

Another angle on the Lindell flop… pic.twitter.com/en1R9yh9nu

— Kevin Wheeler (@KevinWheeler94) April 30, 2019

Esa Lindell just now pic.twitter.com/zpJMejYihd

— game of sporps (@OVECHKlN) April 30, 2019

As for the game, the Blues won 4-3. Pat Maroon scored the game-winner with a little over a minute left.

Once again, there was Lindell, falling down, in front of the net. That left Maroon all alone, and seconds later, he took a pass and stuffed it in.

We now go to Esa Lindell vs Pat Maroon on the game winning goal: pic.twitter.com/Uwv5tQroVX

— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) April 30, 2019

“I think he just fell over me,” Maroon said, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. We were just battling and he tried to get the edge on me and he fell on me.”

Or maybe he flopped again.

Stars fans are hoping Lindell will stay on his feet in Game 4 Wednesday at home. Dallas trails in the series 2-1.

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Tags:

NHL, St. Louis Blues, Viral

Dave Kovaleski

Contributor, Sports

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.

Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.

Location

Massachusetts

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Sports