Matthew Tkachuk, always on the scene of the crime. Well maybe not always but often enough. After all, who can forget his action packed, fight-filled time at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off? Now 2 months later, freshly recovered from the injury he sustained at the tournament, Tkachuk is once again back to his fight ready self. It has been quite an eventful comeback for Tkachuk: While he made a solid start to give his team a healthy lead against the Lightning, the latter pulled one back yesterday as the Lightning won Game 3 comfortably, 5-1. Tkachuk scored the Panthers’ only goal and was also involved in an unwanted controversy. During the dying stages of the game, Tkachuk leveled Lightning star Jake Guentzel with a huge hit such that Guentzel’s face bounced off the ice. It was a scary incident to watch, but the NHL Player Safety decided against any hearing in this case, which left many fans surprised.

While Tkachuk was expected to face repercussions for his actions, he got away with his clash with Guentzel. Even the latter felt that the NHL would consider action against Tkachuk, saying, “I passed the puck and it felt like a long time after I got hit. I’m sure the league’s going to take a look at it. We know the history of what’s happened the last couple games. I’m sure they’ll do their job.”

However, that wasn’t meant to be, as Tkachuk avoided any further action for his hit. During the game, he received a major penalty and was sent off after coming together with Guentzel. Nonetheless, he faced the heat from the fans after escaping a penalty.

Fans call out the NHL after Matthew Tkachuk gets away after aggressive play

Very few would have expected Tkachuk to walk away without any penalty after clashing with his opponent. As a result, a section of the fans called out the NHL Player Safety body, who decided against taking any action against Tkachuk. One of the fans wrote, “But hagel got one for his. NHL again showing they favor certain players and teams.” To put things into perspective, the Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup champions and Tkachuk is a well-sought-after player. Thus, the fan thought that the NHL was partial in his case, favoring him during this incident.

Similarly, another Twitter user had also predicted that Tkachuk would get away with this incident. “Lmao I already knew it but it is officially over. @NHLPlayerSafety @NHL has absolute bias. Most likely gambling addicts running this trying to grease certain games,” said the fan, as Tkachuk escaped punishment for his aggressive play. Further, one of the fans had a hilarious reference to explain why Tkachuk got away after hitting Guentzel. “Well for those of us with a functioning brain this isn’t a surprise,” said a fan, who knew deep inside that the NHL won’t punish Tkachuk for this incident.

However, some fans called out the NHL with strong-worded messages. Explaining the dangers of such incidents, a fan wrote, “@NHLPlayerSafety you don’t protect players. You just pick and choose when you want to insert your power. Worst league out there. No wonder you pull numbers similar to WNBA and why it will never grow in America.” With some brutal comparisons, the fan made clear his feelings after the players’ safety was compromised. Lastly, a fan took a cheeky dig at the NHL with a sarcastic remark. The fan said, “Screams of a double standard,” as he saw clear signs of bias in this matter.

After being thrashed 5-1 in Game 3, the Panthers would look to bounce back to keep their lead. The next game takes place tomorrow, as the likes of Tkachuk and Panthers look to put the controversy behind them and deliver a strong performance.