When a pane of glass cracked Tuesday around the ice rink at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., the Florida Panthers arena crew wasn’t able to make an easy switch for the hometown fans.

Arena workers mounted something that either looks like plywood or cardboard to replace the cracked piece. Yahoo! Sports says it actually was a glass panel, just one that they couldn’t get the protective cover off of.

So the Panthers and their fans had to make the best of the unsightly situation for most of the third period in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

It happened in a prime viewpoint, too. The non-transparent panel undoubtedly made it a pane in the glass for fans who were sitting right behind the opposing team’s net and normally get to see the home team take shots on the goal.

The 10-17-5 Panthers struggle to fill their arena on most nights, so the fans who lost their view of the game likely were able to find an empty seat nearby that wasn’t obstructed.

The game actually went into an extra period — and a shootout — but Panthers workers were able to get the cover off the glass before overtime started. The home team prevailed over the Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout.

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