Panthers and Red Wings go at each other with ridiculous antics on ice

Today the Red Wings had to put up a fierce fight to keep their playoff hopes alive, this time against the often ridiculously dirty Florida Panthers.

Both teams have the ability to mix it up, and with so much on the line in this game, the physicality and on-ice scrums really ramped up. Late in the third period, things got ridiculous as Ekblad getting into it with Perron and Lucas Raymond, grabbing sticks and headlocks all over the place. Ekblad headlocks Raymond, then Perron grabs his stick from the bench and holds him in place.


Earlier on, Perron clipped Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola with a high elbow far away from the play, and Sam Bennett became absolutely livid and bolted to take down Perron.



With their playoffs hopes on the line, the Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin put the team on his back and tied the game with a late powerplay goal. It secured a point for the team, but they went on to drop the game in the shootout.


Once again, down the stretch the Florida Panthers are breaking out their extreme pest-like attitude to their game. In last year's playoff run to the Cup Final, their team was propelled by the truth that the referees can't call everything, and they took advantage of that. It seems like every team that can consistently make deep playoff appearances adopts a mean streak to their game, and the Panthers are a prime example.

It almost hurts to say, but the Edmonton Oilers could take a lesson that they have to adopt a certain amount of this physical play and agitation in the playoffs, when series become a battle of attrition.