The St. Louis Blues beat the Dallas Stars 4-3 at American Airlines Center Monday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.
While Patrick Maroon scored a thrilling game-winning goal with 1:38 left in regulation, the internet was most impressed by Esa Lindell and his shameless diving in the second period.
Lindell and Robert Bortuzzo were each given minor penalties after their board battle went a little too Hollywood.
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Lindell flopped dramatically twice along the boards to try and draw a penalty. You guys, he really wanted that yellow card on Bortuzzo.
“Your arms don’t go flying when you get crosschecked like that,” Pierre McGure said.
Bortuzzo didn’t appreciate Lindell’s gamesmanship, so he cross-checked him one final time for good measure. Lindell flopped again, throwing his head back as if he were hit by a cannon ball.
This is Brad Marchand level trolling and I personally enjoy it.
Unfortunately for Lindell, his crumpling to the ice did not pay off on the game-winning goal.
We now go to Esa Lindell vs Pat Maroon on the game winning goal: pic.twitter.com/Uwv5tQroVX
— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) April 30, 2019
After Maroon deposited the Finnish forward to the ice, he grabbed the puck and beat Ben Bishop to the back of the net.
If hockey doesn't work out for Esa Lindell at least he'll have a future playing soccer with moves like that. https://t.co/dEqUsQ5y1C
— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) April 30, 2019
