Craig Berube Comments On Several Controversial Hits In Panthers-Maple Leafs Game 4

The Toronto Maple Leafs headed to Florida with a 2-0 lead in the series, but amidst struggles from captain Auston Matthews, the team are now headed home facing a must-win Game 5 with the series now deadlocked at 2-2.

For that Game 5, there's a good chance that several players may be unavailable due to suspension, with many expecting Max Domi to potentially face some time off due to his boarding on Aleksander Barkov late in the game.

Head Coach Craig Berube was asked about the hit after the game, and instead of commenting on it, he questioned another hit from Dmitry Kulikov on Leafs star Mitch Marner, which he stated was much worse.

It comes as no surprise that the veteran coach is going to stand up for his players, and while the Domi hit saw a five-minute major and a game penalty, this shot somehow went completely unpunished by the officials.

Once again, it's hard to blame Berube for being frustrated that they didn't get a call here, as Kulikov deliberately hit Marner straight to the head with his elbow, but with the Department of Player Safety likely to get involved, both could potentially be suspended for Game 5.

Ultimately, that's what this series has been about through four games, with dirty hits and plays from both sides defining what has been a thrilling series, but unless someone faces punishment soon, this could get out of hand in a big way.