- Tkachuk and Staal dropped the gloves three seconds into Game 1
- Both captains took matching five-minute majors for the scrap
- Read below for video and Staal’s intermission reaction
Stanley Cup Playoff hockey came back with a punch.
Three seconds into Game 1 between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, captains Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal threw down their gloves at center ice.
Video of the scrap spread fast.
Tkachuk landed the first shot with a right hook, as the video shows. Staal answered and eventually pulled Tkachuk to the ice before both skated off to the box. Each captain took a five-minute major for fighting.
The two were jawing before the puck dropped, setting the tempo for a series that figured to get chippy. Ottawa finished the regular season third in the NHL in hits at 23.8 per game and eighth in penalties at 3.9 per game.
Saturday was the third time this season Tkachuk fought right off an opening faceoff. He took on Anders Lee of the Islanders twice in the final month of the regular season, on March 19 and again on April 11, and he also scrapped with Buffalo’s Logan Stanley on April 2.
Tkachuk was cleared for playoff action earlier this week after temporarily losing his vision during a game against the Islanders. He carried that intensity right into his first playoff shift.
Staal spoke during the first intermission about the early statement. He said the Canes were not going to back down from anyone and were ready to roll.
The Senators and Hurricanes meet in the Eastern Conference First Round. Raleigh hosts the first two games before the series shifts to Canadian Tire Centre for Games 3 and 4.
