The second-round matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers has been as tightly contested as advertised, and there were plenty of fireworks at the end of Game 4.

With the Panthers seconds away from evening the series with a 2-0 win, Max Domi laid a hit on Aleksander Barkov from behind that resulted in Florida’s captain going headfirst into the boards. A scrum ensued as the final horn sounded, with everyone on the ice except the goalies getting involved in the scrum.

Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who scored the second goal of the game, told reporters after the game that he and his teammates know there will be plenty more physical play to come as the series progresses.

“Obviously, he was trying to take a run at Barky at the end there. The boys did a good job there jumping in and sticking up for Barky,” he said. “I mean, it’s a physical series, so I expect more of that.”

The Domi hit was one of many moments throughout the series that have taken their toll on all participants. Bennett was involved in a controversial play where he made contact with Anthony Stolarz’s head, which took him out of Game 1. There were also two hits involving Evan Rodrigues, with the second one coming in Game 4 via his former teammate, Oliver-Ekman Larsson.

As for the one that resulted in Barkov getting hit, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that his captain is fine while adding that Rodrigues will require further evaluation.

“I think the league looks at those things very closely, especially at that point in the game. That’s their job,” he said regarding the Domi hit.

At the time of filing, it is unclear if it will indeed require supplemental discipline, but one can expect that the Panthers will probably be seeking vengeance from Domi by playing him hard in Game 5. This was evident that there will be plenty more fireworks on Wednesday when the broadcast showed Matthew Tkachuk jawing at William Nylander on the bench after the game ended.

“He’ll probably do whatever he can do to get a player off their game,” Nylander said of the incident. “But yeah, next game’s going to be a fun one.”

It will be a pivotal game that will see the victor put themselves one win away from punching their ticket to the Easter Conference Finals, so there is no doubt that it will be an intense and emotional game when the series shifts back to Toronto. With how Game 4 ended and just how physical things got between the two teams, it is clear that it will take a lot out of the Leafs if they wish to put the Panthers on the brink of elimination.

“In the end, I really liked our physicality and compete out there. The guys played hard. It is a tough series. They are a very good team. We know that, and it is a battle,” Head coach Craig Berube said. “I thought most guys were engaged. They were going good. There are guys who can do more, for sure, and we are going to need more out of them. We will figure that out and handle that.”