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The debate over Matthew Tkachuk’s hit on Jake Guentzel during Game 3 of the series between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning spilled into Saturday night.
First, Lightning head coach John Cooper clapped back at his counterpart on the Panthers bench using Paul Maurice's own words during the postgame media availability.
Then, the "NHL on TNT" panel offered different perspectives on whether or not the Tkachuk deserves a suspension for the action.
Tkachuk’s late hit, which earned him a five-minute major for interference, occurred just before Anthony Cirelli’s empty-net goal that sealed a 5–1 win for Tampa Bay.
The incident mirrored the earlier controversy involving Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who was suspended one game after a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.
Former NHL winger Anson Carter pointed to a key difference between the situations.
"No (it's not suspendable), because Guentzel played the puck, Carter said. "Yes, it's a little bit late. He doesn't hit his head at all, but (Guentzel) had full control of the puck before he moves it.
"The difference for me, compared to what happened against Barkov and Hagel, (is that) Barkov never touched the puck.
"I don't think a suspension is coming."
Paul Bissonnette took a different stance, emphasizing the timing and intent behind the hit, and hinting at an upcoming suspension.
"I think we can all agree it's late, and I agree with (Carter) that (Guentzel) touched the puck, but (Tkachuk) had him," Bissonnette said. "He clearly had him in line there, and (Tkachuk) probably counts that one second, and then he delivers (the hit).
"We're talking about player safety here. I think he could have let up a little bit. I think (the NHL) set the standard in the sense that when Hagel was going in for that hit, it wasn't really premeditated because he thought that Barkov had touched it.
"In this sense, it seemed like Tkachuk had the opportunity to think about delivering it. This was a little bit late."
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) looks on after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Guentzel, who stayed in the game and didn't suffer an injury on the hit, expressed hope the NHL would review the hit while hinting at his preference for a suspension given the series' past developments.
"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."
The Panthers lead the series 2-1 following Saturday's 5-1 loss to their state rival Lightning. Game 4 will take place Monday night in Sunrise, Florida, with no suspension announced as of Sunday morning.
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First, Lightning head coach John Cooper clapped back at his counterpart on the Panthers bench using Paul Maurice's own words during the postgame media availability.
Then, the "NHL on TNT" panel offered different perspectives on whether or not the Tkachuk deserves a suspension for the action.
Tkachuk’s late hit, which earned him a five-minute major for interference, occurred just before Anthony Cirelli’s empty-net goal that sealed a 5–1 win for Tampa Bay.
The incident mirrored the earlier controversy involving Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who was suspended one game after a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.
Former NHL winger Anson Carter pointed to a key difference between the situations.
"No (it's not suspendable), because Guentzel played the puck, Carter said. "Yes, it's a little bit late. He doesn't hit his head at all, but (Guentzel) had full control of the puck before he moves it.
"The difference for me, compared to what happened against Barkov and Hagel, (is that) Barkov never touched the puck.
"I don't think a suspension is coming."
Paul Bissonnette took a different stance, emphasizing the timing and intent behind the hit, and hinting at an upcoming suspension.
"I think we can all agree it's late, and I agree with (Carter) that (Guentzel) touched the puck, but (Tkachuk) had him," Bissonnette said. "He clearly had him in line there, and (Tkachuk) probably counts that one second, and then he delivers (the hit).
"We're talking about player safety here. I think he could have let up a little bit. I think (the NHL) set the standard in the sense that when Hagel was going in for that hit, it wasn't really premeditated because he thought that Barkov had touched it.
"In this sense, it seemed like Tkachuk had the opportunity to think about delivering it. This was a little bit late."
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Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) looks on after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Guentzel, who stayed in the game and didn't suffer an injury on the hit, expressed hope the NHL would review the hit while hinting at his preference for a suspension given the series' past developments.
"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."
The Panthers lead the series 2-1 following Saturday's 5-1 loss to their state rival Lightning. Game 4 will take place Monday night in Sunrise, Florida, with no suspension announced as of Sunday morning.
Related: Lightning's Jake Guentzel Sends Strong NHL Message After Matthew Tkachuk Hit
Related: Lightning Coach Uses Paul Maurice's Own Words in Perfect Clapback
Related: Lightning Coach Uses Paul Maurice's Own Words in Perfect Clapback
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