The spark that started this fire was a hit from Panthers defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. He hit Lightning forward Conor Sheary during a net front scramble, clipping him in the head. Initially there was no call on the play, but after a review, the officials gave the Panthers defenseman a major penalty for illegal check to the head as well as a game misconduct.
One of the pairs was Darren Raddysh and Ryan Lomberg, who ultimately moved off towards the boards as a linesman tried to separate them. This put the pair within throwing distance of the stands though, as one fan landed a piece of popcorn perfectly on Lomberg's hair.