- Brady Tkachuk and Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff in Boston
- The Bruins and Panthers combined for 126 penalty minutes, the most in any game this season
- Read below for the fight video and how Boston won 4-1 behind Jeremy Swayman’s 40 saves
Brady Tkachuk and Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves off the opening draw Sunday at TD Garden, and the Bruins and Panthers never settled down after that.
The two teams combined for 126 penalty minutes, the most in any game this season. Boston pulled away for a 4-1 win.
Watch the Tkachuk-Zadorov fight right off the faceoff:
The first scrum was only the start. The teams were already at 86 penalty minutes after two periods:
It kept going in the third. Take a look at Tkachuk’s hit after the whistle that set off yet another scrum:
The hockey got done too. Elias Lindholm opened the scoring at 4:53 of the first, and the goal stood after a video review showed the puck crossed the line. Michael Eyssimont made it 2-0 at 6:11, and Morgan Geekie scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 15:59 off a David Pastrnak feed.
Carter Verhaeghe got one back for Florida on the power play at 18:05 on a one-timer from Tkachuk. JJ Peterka restored the three-goal lead 58 seconds into the third period.
Jeremy Swayman made 40 saves, and Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 for the Panthers. Boston is 13-4-1 and 8-1-0 at home. Florida fell to 9-7-2 and has lost three of its last four.
Zadorov was already in the league’s crosshairs this month, when he was fined the $5,000 maximum for roughing Vlasic. Tkachuk had a big night of his own a day earlier, scoring twice in the Panthers’ 4-3 loss to the Capitals.
Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady will all be in Toronto on Monday for the Hall of Fame ceremony, where Patrice Bergeron and Keith Tkachuk go in together.
