Tempers flared as the final horn sounded at Amerant Bank Arena, with the Florida Panthers evening the Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Toronto Maple Leafs at two games apiece. Amid the on-ice chaos, Matthew Tkachuk remained on the bench—but that didn’t stop him from delivering a cold-blooded warning, seemingly aimed at William Nylander, setting the tone for a fiery Game 5 back in Toronto.
The Panthers and Maple Leafs are starring in one of the most electric series of the NHL postseason, packed with drama, high-end skill, and no shortage of aggression. Game 4 in Sunrise delivered all of that—and then some. Toronto’s frustration after being shut out boiled over in the final seconds, when Max Domi delivered a vicious hit from behind on Aleksander Barkov, igniting an all-out brawl involving every player on the ice.
The chaotic sequence had another chapter in the neutral-ice zone, most especifically between the teams’ benches. That’s where Tkachuk, who usually sits as close as possible to the opposing bench, was involved in a back-and-forth verbal argument with Nylander and Matthew Knies.
It was then when the cameras caught what seemed like a cold-blooded promise from the Panthers’ star to Nylander, raising the stakes ahead of Game 5 of this frenetic Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup.
Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers greets fans as he walks to the ice prior to Game Three of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amerant Bank Arena on April 26, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
Although the exchange between Tkachuk and the Maple Leafs‘ stars wasn’t picked up by the broadcast audio, it was clearly far from cordial. Tkachuk pointed his stick at Nylander before delivering a bold statement.
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“I am going to get you, I am going to get you,” Tkachuk told Nylander, according to The Hockey News reporter Evan Doerfler.
No suspension
Domi’s hit on Barkov was anything but a hockey play. With no intention to play the puck, Domi took advantage of a vulnerable Barkov, who landed face first against the boards. While the Panthers made sure to answer right back, they expected the NHL and its Department of Player Safety to step in and hand out a suspension.
“I think that the league looks at those things very close, especially at that point in the game. That’s their job,” Paul Maurice stated during his postgame press conference.
However, Domi hasn’t been suspended, instead the NHL assessed a $5,000 fine for boarding, but the Leafs’ forward will be available during Game 5 on May 14 back in The Six.
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Regardless of the NHL’s ruling on the Domi situation ahead of Game 5, tensions are already running high as the series returns to Scotiabank Arena. Expect more fireworks when Tkachuk and the Panthers step into enemy territory to face Nylander and the Leafs in a pivotal showdown.
