Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Leaked Footage Shows Tkachuk and Bennett Sending Lightning Players a Clear Warning for Hit on Barkov

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The Florida Panthers were furious after Brandon Hagel took out Aleksander Barkov, and now, footage has shown his star teammates sending Tampa a strong message.

The Battle of Florida has been one of the most intense rivalries in the NHL in recent years, and while the Panthers are up 2-0 after two matchups in Tampa Bay, this is a series that's potentially still alive.

The intensity went to another level in Game 2, with Brandon Hagel taking out captain Aleksander Barkov with a brutal hit, as the captain would not return for the remainder of the game.

After the matchup, Sam Bennett made it very clear that these two teams simply do not like each other, and the more they meet, the more that hatred continues to run deeper and deeper.

"The rivalry is growing. We just hate them more and more every time we play them."

Now, footage has emerged of Game 2 that shows exactly that, with both Bennett and star forward Matthew Tkachuk seen mouthing off at the Lightning bench, reportedly telling the star players on the other side that revenge is coming.

Whether that means either of them run through Jake Guentzel or Nikita Kucherov is yet to be seen, but at this point in time, the Panthers are up 2-0 and have a team that's already been to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, so when their top stars make threats, the belief is that they can follow through on it.

Now, the Panthers are on home ice for the next two games, and with the Lightning being desperate, this is the time for a Championship team like Florida to swoop in and make their mark both physically and on the scoreboard, so expect Game 3 to get ugly.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: