Matthew Tkachuk Fined After Physical Bruins-Panthers Game
If you watched the Boston Bruins skate to a 3-1 series lead against the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon, you saw an old school, physical playoff game. And Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk was right smack in the middle of it all.
At the end of the first period — after the horn — Tkachuk took a whack at Garnet Hathaway. The cross-check cost Tkachuk two minutes in the box to start the second period — and $5,000 on Monday morning.
With his team trailing 2-0 in the second period, Tkachuk scored a ridiculous goal to get the Panthers on the board. It’s wild how easy he makes this between-the-legs move look.
He kept up with the antics, however. And with a little more than three minutes left in the game and the score out of reach, absolute chaos broke out behind the Bruins’ goal. He was using his hands and mouth to aggravate the Boston players — including goaltender Linus Ullmark. Ullmark had heard and seen enough and wanted all of the smoke. Boston’s netminder got tossed from a runaway win because he wanted a piece of Tkachuk.
The two teams will have to wait until Wednesday evening to resume their heated battle. Boston can advance with a win in Florida that night.
