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Tkachuk appeared to threaten someone on the Toronto Maple Leafs bench

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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May 12 2025, 3:19 am
Tkachuk appeared to threaten someone on the Toronto Maple Leafs bench
Sportsnet

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t exactly flying as high as they were last week.

After taking a 2-0 series lead to open their second-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, the Leafs head back to Toronto with things all tied up at two wins apiece.

Now 10 games into the playoffs, the Leafs were shut out for the second time this postseason on Sunday, falling 2-0 to the Panthers in a matchup that featured just one goal through 52 minutes of action.

While the Leafs didn’t find themselves on the scoresheet on the evening, Toronto forward Max Domi certainly sent a message in the game’s closing moments.

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.

It’s too early to tell if the NHL Department of Player Safety will offer up any supplemental discipline for Domi.

But in playoff time, when just about everything is closely being watched by the league’s higher-ups, you can bet they’ll at least be taking a look at whether they’ll give a fine or suspension to the Leafs forward,Ā with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirming as much.

Barkov was not injured on the play, as per Panthers coach Paul Maurice via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, though Florida forward Evan Rodrigues is still being evaluated for a hit earlier in the game from Toronto’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson that resulted in a minor penalty.

Domi has two goals and two assists through 10 playoff games for Toronto, including an overtime goal in Game 2 against the Ottawa Senators in the first round.

After the play, television cameras caught Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk jawing at the Leafs bench, appearing to target Toronto’s William Nylander for possible retribution on the play next game.

The Sportsnet broadcast showed Tkachuk pointing his stick right at a Leafs player, and on the TNT broadcast, you could hear him talking.

ā€œHe’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,ā€ Nylander said, per TSN’s Mark Masters.

The Leafs and Panthers have an extended break as playoff series go, with the duo facing off in Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.

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