Maple Leafs' Domi fined $5K for boarding Panthers' Barkov

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi avoided a suspension for boarding Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov at the end of Game 4, instead earning a $5,000 fine, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

The temperature rose in the final seconds of Toronto's 2-0 loss Sunday, with Domi drawing attention from the Panthers after hitting Barkov.

Florida head coach Paul Maurice said postgame that he expects Barkov to be fine moving forward and expressed confidence that the league would "do their job" in assessing Domi's actions.

However, that wasn't the only controversial moment in Game 4. Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola wasn't penalized after catching star forward Mitch Marner with a high elbow during the second period.

"To me, the Kulikov hit on Marner was 10 times worse," Toronto bench boss Craig Berube said Monday when asked about Domi's hit on Barkov, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

Maple Leafs forward William Nylander said Wednesday's Game 5 should "be a fun one" as the tension ramps up in the second-round series.

Berube added that his players will be ready for whatever the defending champions throw at them.

"We expected it, and I think we're fine with it," Berube said, per TSN's Mark Masters. "We're handling it, we're physical. I thought we were the more physical team last night."

The Panthers tied the series with back-to-back wins in Florida. The puck drops on Game 5 at 7 p.m. ET back in Toronto.