Domi escapes suspension for Toronto Maple Leafs forward's last-second hit on Barkov

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi might be reconsidering how he chooses to send messages moving forward.

On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety opted to meet with Domi over some late-game antics, ultimately fining him US$5,000 for a high-profile incident the night prior.

In the waning stages of Sunday’s Game 4 against the Florida Panthers, Domi looked to send a spark to his opponents that the Leafs weren’t backing down without a fight, despite dropping consecutive games on the road to even the series at two wins apiece.

As the clock ticked down in the third period, Domi targeted Florida captain Aleksander Barkov with a hit from behind that created a fracas between pretty much every player on the ice for both teams.

Domi was given a five-minute major penalty on the play, though the infraction was pretty moot, given that the time of the game had run out after the play had ended.

While there were some calls for Domi to be suspended, it looks like he’ll be in the lineup for a critical Game 5 later this week.

It might not just be the NHL involved in disciplining Domi, though, with the players in the game perhaps opting for a bit of vigilante justice the next time the two teams meet.

One of the players on the bench for the game’s final moments was Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, long known as one of the game’s best agitators.

On both the TNT and Sportsnet feeds of the game, Tkachuk appeared to be gesturing towards Toronto’s William Nylander that he’d face some retribution next game for Domi’s hit on Barkov.

“He’ll probably do whatever he can do to get a player off their game, but yeah, next game’s going to be a fun one,” Nylander said, per TSN’s Mark Masters.

Game 7 goes Wednesday night in Toronto, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. EDT.