The Tampa Bay Lightning tightened the series against the Florida Panthers with a 5-1 win in Game 3 on Saturday, cutting Florida’s lead to 2-1.
Late in the third period, with the game already decided and Tampa Bay leading 4-1, Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk delivered a late open-ice hit on Lightning's Jake Guentzel that led to a major penalty and a potential suspension.
Tkachuk hit Guentzel moments after he had passed the puck to Anthony Cirelli, who scored the final 5-1 goal into Florida’s empty net to extend Tampa Bay’s lead.
Officials called Tkachuk for a five-minute major for interference, and the play immediately drew comparisons to Brandon Hagel's Game 3 heavy check on Aleksander Barkov that earned the former a one-game suspension.
Following the game, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper addressed the hit during his press conference.
"The only players we hit are the ones with pucks," Cooper said.
The remark mirrored what Panthers coach Paul Maurice had said earlier in the series when Hagel was suspended one game for a high hit on Barkov in Game 2.
Hagel was given a five-minute major penalty for interference and later missed Game 3 as a result.
Guentzel stayed in the game after the hit and later addressed the media, suggesting that he expects the NHL to review the incident and act accordingly.
"I passed the puck and it felt like a long time after I got hit," Guentzel said. "I’m sure the league’s going to take a look at it.
"We know the history of what’s happened the last couple games. I’m sure they’ll do their job."
Tampa Bay will host Game 4 on Monday night at Amalie Arena, looking to even the Eastern Conference first-round series at two games apiece.
