The Battle of Florida is not lacking in emotions. Both players and coaches are taking jabs at each other, both on and off the ice. During Game Three, the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk received a five-minute penalty after a late hit on Jake Guentzel. Now, expert Paul Bissonnette is sharing his thoughts on the controversial hit.
The Florida Panthers are facing their biggest rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. After three games, the Panthers are up 2–1, with both teams winning their away games. To no one’s surprise, the series has been filled with very physical play and cheap shots from both sides, even including the coaches exchanging verbal jabs.
Matthew Tkachuk not suspended
In Game Two, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel was suspended for one game after a hit on Florida’s Aleksander Barkov. In Game Three, a similar incident occurred when Matthew Tkachuk made a late hit on Jake Guentzel. Tkachuk received a five-minute penalty, but no suspension was handed out. Guentzel was able to continue the game and was not injured, but afterward, he called for the NHL to review the hit. Experts are now divided on the situation.
Paul Bissonnette gives opinion
The NHL on TNT panel could not agree on whether Tkachuk should face a suspension.
“Guentzel played the puck. Yes, it’s a little bit late. He doesn’t hit his head at all. The difference for me, compared to what happened with Barkov, is that Barkov never touched the puck,” former NHL winger Anson Carter explained, according to Yahoo. However, Paul Bissonnette had a different view.
“I think we can all agree it’s late, but Tkachuk had him. He clearly had him in line there, and Tkachuk probably counts that one second, and then he delivers the hit,” Bissonnette said.
“We’re talking about player safety here. I think he could have let up a little bit. I think the NHL set the standard in the sense that when Hagel was going in for that hit, it wasn’t really premeditated because he thought that Barkov had touched it,” Bissonnette added.
Game Four will be played in Sunrise on Monday night, with the Panthers leading the series 2–1.
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