NHL referee has enough, ejects 10 players at once
Senators forward Zack MacEwen fined by NHL for unsportsmanlike conduct after ugly game
Two brothers known for their shenanigans, and the potential for chaos with a lopsided score, led referees for Monday night's game between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers to enforce a rare edict.
With the Panthers leading 4-0 in the back half of the third period, a skirmish broke out after Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was stopped on a breakaway.
Tkachuk dragged his skate to hit the pads of Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, sparking an angry response from his opponents.
The refs sensed a messy end to the game with the older Tkachuk brother, Matthew, already in the penalty box. He'd gotten under the skin of brother Brady's teammates.
Senator Zack MacEwen took a run at Matthew and was issued a five-minute match penalty for a check to the head. On Tuesday, he was fined by the NHL for a little more than $2,000. Jake Sanderson also dropped the gloves with Matthew.
10-minute misconduct for everyone
After the scrum sparked by Brady, with just under seven minutes to play, referees pretty much ejected 10 players at once.
"Everybody on the ice has a 10-minute misconduct, among other penalties," referee Garrett Rank announced over his microphone.
In the crowd, the Tkachuk family including grandmother Geraldine looked on. She was spotted by a TV camera with her head in her hands, disapproving of the donnybrook.
As for the game, Sam Reinhart scored two goals and Bobrovsky made 20 saves as the Panthers won 5-0.
Ottawa struggled early and never managed to get on equal footing with the Panthers. Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots after missing the last two games with a minor injury.
With files from The Associated Press