The playoff showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers has been intense, to say the least, and things just got even more dramatic.
Both teams are locked in a 2-2 tie in their second-round series, and with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line, emotions are running high. Toronto hasn’t reached that stage since 2002, while Florida is chasing back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances, a rare achievement that hasn’t happened since the Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 2016 and 2017.
Sunday night’s Game 4 was a fiery one, with Florida winning 2-0 thanks to a brilliant showing from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 23 saves. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored the goals that sealed the win. But the most talked-about moment came right at the end of the game.
With only eight seconds left, Leafs forward Max Domi delivered a controversial hit to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. Barkov was going for a loose puck near the boards when Domi came flying in from halfway across the ice and slammed him hard into the wall. Barkov’s head appeared to hit the boards, but he got up quickly, though he was clearly furious. His teammates, including Aaron Ekblad and Eetu Luostarinen, rushed over, and things got chippy fast.
As the final buzzer sounded, a scuffle broke out. Domi was hit with a five-minute penalty for boarding, and other players were also penalised for rough play during the post-hit chaos.
So, will Max Domi be suspended for that big hit?
No. The NHL decided not to suspend him, but they did fine him the maximum allowed, $5,000. Domi has a history of playing rough. He was suspended for five games back in 2018 for sucker-punching Ekblad, and he was also fined earlier this season for elbowing Garnet Hathaway.
Given his track record and the aggressive nature of this latest hit, many thought he might be suspended this time, too. But the league stuck with just the fine.
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