James Guillory-Imagn Images

Svechnikov Catches Bobrovsky Up High Drawing Parallels to Bennett's Hit on Stolarz

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 21, 2025 1:26 PM ET

The Florida Panthers played physical in their series with Toronto, and now it appears they've got a taste of their own medicine against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a time of great intensity and physicality, and against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Florida Panthers were a team that was playing incredibly physical, starting with Game 1 when Sam Bennett knocked out Anthony Stolarz with a shot right to the head.

That play drew plenty of ire from Maple Leafs fans as Stolarz would go on to miss the remainder of the series, and in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes, it appears as though the tables were turned.

After the whistle, veteran Andrei Svechnikov would hit Sergei Bobrovksy to the head, and it's clear that his veteran Panthers teammates weren't too happy about the direct contact right to the head.

Maple Leafs fans on the other hand have seen this story already, as they took to social media to point out this is exactly what happened to them, with many Panthers fans in the last round defending what happened.

At the end of the day however, Bobrovsky was able to stay in the game against Carolina as the Panthers offense continued rolling to the 5-2 victory, that gives them not only a win in Game 1, but a key victory on the road to open this series.

Ultimately, things are going to continue getting heated throughout this series if this type of contact continues, but after all of the plays from Florida throughout the post-season thus far, it's safe to say that they may have this coming to them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: