Nikita Zadorov Takes It To Brady Tkachuk Off The Opening Face-Off.

The hatred between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers was evident on Sunday afternoon with over a hundred penalty minutes handed out by the time this one was all said and done, and the tone was set early by two of each team's toughest customers.

Right off of the opening draw we were treated to a heavyweight tilt between Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov and Florida Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk, with both men showing no desire to back down. They would trade heavy blows but it seemed at one point that Zadorov was getting the better of the exchanges, with Tkachuk very clearly hanging on for dear life by the time the National Hockey League officials on the ice stepped in to seperate the two men.

Zadorov seemed to think as much as well, celebrating like a victor after the two men were split apart.

There is one image in particular going around of the aftermath of this fight that doesn't exactly paint Tkachuk in the most favorable light.

That being said I wouldn't want to trade blows with someone like Nikita Zadorov either, so I can't blame Tkachuk for protecting himself first and foremost.