Warning: Story contains coarse language.

Cody Eakin's five-minute major for crosschecking Joe Pavelski in the third period of Game 7 sparked an unbelievable turn of events, changing the course of the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Eakin was ejected at the 9:13 mark of the final frame with the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 3-0 lead. With the five-minute power play, the San Jose Sharks scored four goals to take a 4-3 lead. Jonathan Marchessault tied it for Vegas with 47 seconds left before the Sharks won in overtime on the stick of Barclay Goodrow to advance to the second round.

Here's the play where Eakin, the centerman on the faceoff, was ejected:

Here's a closer look:

After the game, Marchessault voiced his disgust with the call on the ice.

"It's a fucking joke. It's embarrassing," he said postgame, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger. "That's what it is. It changed the entire outcome of the game, and the season."

The supervising official of the series, Don Van Massenhoven, offered the following explanation for the ejection.

"The referees called a crosschecking penalty for an infraction that caused a significant injury," said Van Massenhoven, who officiated 1,366 games during his career, according to Granger. "In their judgement, the infraction and its result merited a major penalty."

Pavelski laid motionless on the ice momentarily with blood dripping from his head. The Sharks captain had to be helped to the dressing room and did not return.

Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant also had a difficult time accepting the way his team was bounced in Round 1.

"Last season we lost in the Stanley Cup Final, and that was hard," he told Granger. "But tonight, this is worse."

The Sharks, who overcame a 3-1 series deficit, will play the Colorado Avalanche in Round 2.

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