Craig Berube believes Panthers’ Kulikov’s hit on Marner ’10 times worse’ than Domi’s hit on Barkov

Earlier in the game, Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner took an elbow from Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov. Kulikov was not penalized for the incident during the first period. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was asked about Domi’s hit on Barkov on Monday morning, and provided a concise summary of events.

“To me, the Kulikov hit was 10 times worse,” Berube said via The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.

At the time of this filing, the NHL Department of Player Safety haven’t issued any sanctions for Domi or Kulikov. This is becoming a point of contention throughout the series, as Panthers forward Sam Bennett wasn’t penalized or sanctioned for an elbow on Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in Game 1. Stolarz left the arena on a stretcher and did not travel with the team to Florida for Game 3-4.

“I mean, obviously (Domi is) trying to take a run at Barky at the end there,” Bennett said of Domi’s hit on Barkov. “You know, the boys did a good job jumping in there and sticking up for Barky. Yeah, I mean, it’s been a physical series, so I expect more of that.”

It’s now a best-of-three, as the Maple Leafs host the Panthers in what surely will be a spirited, physical and ultra-competitive Game 5.

“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,” Berube said Sunday night. “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.”

It’ll be compelling to see if the referees keep eyes out for the Panthers, who have made a habit of towing the line when it comes to questionable hits during their extended run atop the Eastern Conference.