Fans incensed as Matthew Tkachuk seemingly attempts to slew foot Mitch Marner: "Cmon Mitch, put your fist through his teeth"

NHL fans on social media were outraged after the Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk appeared to attempt a slew-foot on the Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner late in Game 1 of their Round 2 playoff series on Monday.

As the matchup concluded in the Leafs' favor with a 5-4 scoreline, Tkachuk swung at Marner with an attempt to knee the Leafs forward.

Here's a video of the play:

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Fans were furious over Matthew Tkachuk's apparent intent to injure Marner as they shared their reactions on X (formerly Twitter).

"Cmon Mitch you’re a f****n dad now not a 21 year old kid anymore. Drop ur glove and put ur fist through his teeth for f**k sakes," one tweeted.

Another chimed in:

"That is all the Panthers got. Injure peeps because they don't have the skill to win any other way..."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"This alone should be worthy of a suspension. Has he lost his fucking mind?" a fan posted.

"Playoff hockey sending a message for game 2, thank goodness the future redwing kept his head up like every player should," one opined.

"Poor choice to intentionally try and take out Marner. Never risk suspension on passengers," another user wrote.

"Honestly it’s so insane how pathetic this team is. They just go out and try to injure people," another chimed in.

Matthew Tkachuk and Panthers rally in third, but fall short in Game 1

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a solid start to the first period, with goals from William Nylander putting them ahead 2-0. Seth Jones cut the deficit after scoring on the power play at 16:57 of the period.

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However, the Leafs ended the period strong, with Morgan Rielly's goal late in the period putting them ahead 3-1. In the second period, Chris Tanev extended the Maple Leafs' lead to 4-1.

The Panthers rallied in the final period, with goals from Eetu Loustarinen and Uvis Balinskis cutting the deficit to 4-3. Matthew Knies then made it 5-3 for the Leafs at 14:00. Sam Bennett put the Panthers within one, but the defending champions ultimately fell short of tying the game in the remaining frame.

Matthew Tkachuk accumulated a point in the matchup. He and the Panthers will hope to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta