The final 10 minutes of Wednesday’s Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers were marked by a flurry of misconduct penalties, culminating in a rare fight between David Pastrnak and Matthew Tkachuk.
Following a heated third period where referees had already issued 10 misconduct penalties to players from both teams, Pastrnak and Tkachuk were spotted exchanging words at center ice before returning to their respective benches. As soon as their next shift began, both players engaged in a fight, marking Pastrnak’s first-ever fight in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the second fighting major of his NHL career. His previous fight occurred in March 2018 against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi.
Reflecting on the altercation, Pastrnak explained to reporters post-game that Tkachuk had challenged him, prompting him to step up despite the lopsided score of 6-1 in favor of the Panthers. Pastrnak admitted his limited experience with fighting, expressing a desire to handle the situation differently in hindsight.
Meanwhile, Tkachuk, known for his physical play, earned his fifth fighting major in the playoffs, with his last postseason fight occurring exactly two years prior against then-Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg.
Despite the outcome, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery praised Pastrnak’s willingness to compete, emphasizing the importance of players displaying competitiveness and standing up for their teammates.
The game concluded with a final score of 6-1 in favor of the Florida Panthers, evening the series at 1-1 following the Bruins’ 5-1 victory in Game 1. A total of 158 penalty minutes were assessed throughout the game, with additional 10-minute misconduct penalties issued to Justin Brazeau and Dmitry Kulikov.
Looking ahead, Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston.
