Leafs' Marner not having any of old teammate Tkachuk's antics

London Knights | ESPN

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner knows Matthew Tkachuk well.

Perhaps a little too well for Tkachuk’s liking, it might seem.

In a scrum at the conclusion of last night’s game — a 2-1 win for Toronto in Game 4 to keep their season alive — Florida Panthers forward Tkachuk landed a couple of post-whistle shots toward Marner’s cranium.

who among us doesn't laugh after taking a punch to the face? pic.twitter.com/K09ccn6pJM

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 11, 2023

Marner didn’t appear to be having any of Tkachuk’s antics, laughing them off with a smile.

And while Tkachuk has long been known as one of the league’s best pests over the course of his career, Marner has a longer-standing history with him.

In 2015-16, the pair were part of one of the most electric lines in recent junior hockey history (along with current Montreal Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak), as they captured the 2016 Memorial Cup as CHL champions while members of the London Knights.

scrum at the end of the game pic.twitter.com/7C55XHqjMt

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 11, 2023

Both players were assessed roughing penalties on the play, as were the other eight skaters on the ice for their roles in the end-of-game scrum, while Florida’s Sam Bennett also received a 10-minute misconduct.

Following the win, Marner said he didn’t have any plans to get riled up by his old pal.

“I know exactly what he is gonna try to do, [I] just try and stay poised and don’t really give a flying… you know what the next word is,” Marner told reporters after the game.

'I know exactly what he is gonna try to do, just try and stay poised and don't really give a flying ….' Marner on Tkachuk throwing punches at the end of the game. #leafs pic.twitter.com/lOGd3m6jms

— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) May 11, 2023

Marner picked up the game-winning goal on the night, his first of the second round. Marner now has three goals and 11 assists in 10 games in the 2023 playoffs, ranking him sixth in the league throughout the postseason.

Game 5 between the Leafs and Panthers goes Friday night in Toronto, with puck drop set for 7 pm ET. One can only wonder if the two old pals will be going at it once again as Toronto looks to keep its season alive.

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