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5 hours ago
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Things are getting heated in the second-round playoff series between the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 series lead, but Florida clawed back into it, earning back-to-back wins in Games 3 and 4 to even the series as it heads back to Canada.
As the final horn sounded in the Panthers’ 2-0 win on Sunday, things got chippy between the two sides. Maple Leafs forward Max Domi blindsided Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov from behind, sending him crashing head-first into the boards.
Domi’s hit caused a scuffle involving everyone on the ice as officials worked to separate them before things got out of hand. As that was happening, cameras caught Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk pointing his stick at William Nylander and gesturing with his elbow.
Another angle from the bench revealed Tkachuk seemingly making a menacing threat to Nylander as retaliation for the cheap shot on Barkov.
“Who am I going to get next game?” Tkachuk asked. “Guess who I’m going to get. I’m going to get you.”
Fortunately for the Panthers, Barkov doesn’t appear to be seriously injured because of the incident.
“Yeah, I think he will be alright,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters after the game.
This isn’t the first time Tkachuk’s behavior at the end of a game against the Maple Leafs has drawn attention.
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) waits for the faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
With just seconds left in a 5-4 Game 1 loss in Toronto, video emerged of Tkachuk seemingly trying to take out Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner as the clock winded down.
The 27-year-old forward skated full-force at Marner and appeared to try and take him out along the boards but Marner pulled up and avoided the hit.
Given how Sunday’s game ended, fans will likely be anxious to see if Tkachuk follows through on his warning to the Maple Leafs bench in Wednesday’s Game 5.
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