Following Max Domi's hit on Barkov, Elliotte Friedman likens Panthers to 1990s Pistons, feels Leafs had no choice but to push back

The final moments of Game 4 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers on Sunday got messy. Max Domi hit Aleksander Barkov from behind, and Barkov went headfirst into the boards. The play happened just before the final buzzer, with Florida leading 2-0. The hit led to a scuffle between several players on both teams, as Domi got a five-minute major penalty for boarding and received a misconduct. Other players were also given 10-minute misconducts.

Elliotte Friedman spoke about the hit on the "32 Thoughts" podcast, comparing the Panthers to the 1990s Detroit Pistons. He said the Pistons were tough and played rough, committing many fouls, knowing not all would get called. Friedman also said Florida plays a similar style, but did not mean it as an insult, as both teams were champions. He believes they take over games with toughness and pressure.

"I compared the Panthers to the Detroit Pistons, the bad boys of the late 80s, early 90s," Friedman said on Sunday. "That is not an insult. That is a compliment. They won back-to-back NBA titles, bullying the NBA."

Friedman added that the Leafs had been pushed around in the series. He felt the veterans on the Leafs had had enough, and they chose to fight back. Friedman did not support the hit on Barkov but said he understood the frustration, as the Leafs showed that they would not be bullied anymore.

"They basically said, we're better than you, we're meaner than you, we're tougher than you, and we're going to commit so many fouls knowing that they can't call all of them," Friedman said.

Friedman also drew a parallel between how Detroit and Florida approach games, noting that when the Panthers are losing, they "take a piece out of you."

Friedman went on to explain why Toronto had to push back.

"Some as Toronto's veteran guys were kind of like, 'You know what, we've been getting beaten up this whole series,'" Friedman said. "'We're playing the Panthers game with them.'"

He acknowledged that while Florida is built to play this tough style, the Leafs had to stand up for themselves.

"There are times you have to stand up for yourself and say, This isn't going to go only one way," Friedman said.

Paul Maurice comments on Max Domi's hit on Barkov ahead of Game 5

After Game 4 on Sunday, Panthers coach Paul Maurice talked about the hit on Aleksander Barkov. He acknowledged that the league would look at the play.

“I think the league looks at those things very closely, especially at that point in the game,” Maurice said, via Maple Leafs Hot Stove. “That’s their job."

Game 5 will be played on Wednesday in Toronto. The league has not yet said if Max Domi will be suspended.