"Went down too easy" "Worst call of entire playoffs" - NHL fans divided on Mason Marchment's embellishment call after Zach Hyman cross-check

NHL fans online were split in their opinions regarding the embellishment call on Mason Marchment following a cross-check by Zach Hyman. The incident occurred in the final seconds of the second period of Game 3 in the Western Conference final series between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday night. The game was deadlocked at 3-3.

Marchment was positioned by the boards near the faceoff circle, waiting to receive the puck or make a play. At the same time, Oilers forward Zach Hyman, who was behind him, cross-checked the Stars forward, resulting in Marchment falling to the ice.

Here's a video of the play:

Consequently, Hyman received a two-minute minor for cross-checking, and Marchment was given a two-minute minor for embellishment.

Fans were quick to react to the embellishment call against Mason Marchment, expressing mixed reactions on X (formerly Twitter). One tweeted:

"He went down way too easy. Flop"

Another fan chimed in and opined it was the worst call made by the referees:

"Might be the worst call of the entire playoffs so far."

"Yes. Marchment sees it coming and goes down easy. Ref calls it to prevent both teams to discourage these types of plays. It is common in hockey to call it this way," one fan said.

Another fan reckoned that Marchment went down too easily:

"Yes, his laying motionless on the ice was a bit too much. Let the ref make the call and the player focus on the game."

"Marchment literally dives on every hit so why are you shocked?" another posted.

"As an Oilers fan, unequivocally, no, that was not an embellishment. Bad call," one X user said.

Mason Marchment and Dallas Stars take lead in series

On Monday night, Mason Marchment and the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference final series. The Stars now lead the seven-game series 2-1.

The Oilers had a dominant start to the game and went on to take a 2-0 lead before heading into the second period. However, in the second, the Oilers couldn't replicate their performance, and like Game 1, they eventually squandered a two-goal lead.

A first-career playoff hattrick from Jason Robertson propelled the Stars to mount a comeback in the second period. Wyatt Johnson and Miro Heiskanen were the other scorers for the Stars in the 5-3 win. Game 4 returns to Rogers Place on Wednesday.