Panthers and Rangers series reaching boiling point of physicality

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Noel Drolet
May 24, 2024 (9:00 PM)

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Panthers-Rangers series reaches boiling point as both teams build rivalry.

The physicality this year has been amazing in the playoffs, with a crazy number of hits across every series. The playoffs have not disappointed this year with the entertainment, especially with the Panthers' series this year.

The Panthers have always been a gritty team, making their games interesting to watch. They play at such a high level, but they have a reputation for being a dirty team. This hasn't gone away during the series against the Rangers, as they continue to lay controversial hits on other players.

Kulikov is known for being one of the repeat offenders on the Panthers for dirty hits and this time he lays another questionable hit on Wennberg of the Rangers.

This hit was assessed a minor for interference as Wennberg dumped the puck more than a second before contact. There's also questionable head contact on the play here, which wasn't called in game but may be reviewed by the league. This incident came after another massive scrum between the teams, after Vincent Trocheck scored the first goal of the game.

It's evident that these two teams already don't like each other and the playoff atmosphere doesn't add to that. The Panthers have always been sore losers however, as they win the first game 3-0 but still get upset when the Rangers score first. Either team would be a force to face in the Stanley Cup Finals, and the playoffs are only going to get more entertaining from here on out.