Conor Ryan just reported that Brady Tkachuk and Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves right at the start of the Panthers-Bruins game at TD Garden.
The game is live as we write this, and the fight came almost immediately. Florida is on the second night of a back-to-back after Saturday's loss in Washington.
Ryan posted about it twice within minutes, and his first message put the matchup front and center.
Then he confirmed that the two had dropped the gloves at the start of the game.
Tkachuk against Zadorov is a heavyweight pairing on paper. Tkachuk is listed at 6'4 and 225 pounds, while Zadorov is 6'7 and 255 pounds, so the Bruins defenseman has the size edge.
Zadorov doesn't shy away from this part of the game either. He came in with 47 penalty minutes through 16 games this season, and Tkachuk had 19 PIM through 17.
Why Tkachuk set the tone this early
This is the Panthers' first meeting with Boston this season, and Tkachuk arrived in a good place offensively. He scored twice on Saturday in Washington, as we noted in our recap of Brady Tkachuk's two-goal night, and he has 10 goals on the season.
Fighting a player Zadorov's size in the opening minutes is a statement to a Bruins team that sat 1st in the Atlantic Division before puck drop. Florida was 5th in the division and coming off a 4-3 loss, so a spark on the second half of a back-to-back is not a bad idea.
The posts don't say what happened after the fight, so we won't guess at penalties or the result. We will keep tabs on this one and update with more details as they come in.
Quick hits
BOSTON BRUINSJacob Markstrom is projected to start for the Panthers this afternoon in Boston, FlaHockeyNow reports, while the Bruins stick with Jeremy Swayman. That is the matchup in the crease for a game that has already gotten physical.
INJURYRyan Huska explained how Kevin Bahl ruptured his Achilles, and it happened warming up Friday night. The Flames coach called it a freak accident, which is a brutal way to lose a defenseman.
OTTAWA SENATORSLinus Ullmark is off injured reserve, Bruce Garrioch reports, and he is back on the Senators' regular roster. That is a welcome boost for the crease in Ottawa.
WINNIPEG JETSScott Arniel said Josh Morrissey will not return tonight against Tampa Bay, a reversal from what was expected. The Jets will have to wait a little longer.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERSJackie Spiegel reports that Dan Vladař is expected to start tonight in Calgary against his former club, the Flames. Always a fun storyline for a goalie.
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Brady Tkachuk starts a wild night at TD Garden