Olivier's hit sparks fan fury and debate. Did the Blue Jackets forward cross the line, or is the fanbase overreacting to a penalty?
Last night in the Columbus Blue Jackets game against the Vancouver Canucks, Mathieu Olivier threw a questionable hit on defensemen Elias Pettersson.
Olivier was given a five-minute major for the hit and was kicked out of the game.
After that, the Blue Jackets managed to kill the penalty and return back to even strength. And, Pettersson later returned to the game in the third period.
Today, the NHL never announced any discipline for the hit. It was a very questionable hit and he was able to avoid a suspension, which is huge.
Unfortunately, it seems that some of the Blue Jackets fanbase has now turned on him.
Some fans have took to social media to call him a "bum" and insinuate that he would be nothing but a goon if he it wasn't for his point total last season.
So far, he has five points in 14 games. But last season, he had a breakout season with 32 points in 82 games.
It seems to be forgotten that he is a valuable player to their lineup and is widely considered to be a fan favourite. At the end of the day, my colleague Jason Newland is right, the Blue Jackets killed off the penalty, so why does it matter anymore?
The Hockey News-Columbus (@F1RETHECANNON) on X
I tell you what, some of you have turned on Mathieu Olivier, and it's weird. They killed off the penalty, so who cares? #CBJ
He avoided a suspension, the Canucks didn't score on the power play and they battled hard for the rest of the game. At this point nearly 24 hours later, Olivier shouldn't be getting ripped apart amongst the fanbase for the hit. It's over and it's time to move on.
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The Hockey News-Columbus (@F1RETHECANNON) on X
I tell you what, some of you have turned on Mathieu Olivier, and it's weird. They killed off the penalty, so who cares? #CBJ
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