The 2023 NHL playoffs have kicked off in quite the rough and tumble way in the first round as we’ve already seen an elbow to the chin, a cut that required 75 stitches, and even a potential chokehold.

That did not change on Friday night as the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders did battle in the third game of their series.

Hurricanes forward Martin Necas was the culprit in this case. The 24-year-old Czech got launched into the Islanders’ bench and was clearly not happy about it as he threw a punch at a seated Isles player before exiting back onto the ice.

NECAS GETS HIT INTO THE ISLES BENCH AND THEN PUNCHES SOMEONE 😳 pic.twitter.com/QYjsPyKMvA

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2023

The play occurred with 2:19 left in the third period with the Islanders up 3-1 and on the way to their first win of the series.

Necas starts the play chasing a loose puck along the boards next to New York’s bench with Jean-Gabriel Pageau hot on his tail. As Necas makes a move to play the puck up the ice, Pageau meets him shoulder-to-shoulder in a big way. The force of the contact sends Necas headfirst into the Isles’ bench right next to backup netminder Semyon Varlamov.

Necas gets up and seemingly at random throws a right cross to the fishbowl helmet of Islanders alternate captain Brock Nelson. Surprisingly, Necas then jumps over the board relatively unscathed and without any punishment from the on-ice officials.

“JG made a nice hit on him,” Isles forward Kyle Palmieri said postgame. “He was probably a little upset going into the other team’s bench. It is what it is. It’s an emotional game. Brock’s got a face mask on. I’m sure he’s okay.”

Eagle eye viewers may notice that Necas enters the bench with a completely intact stick. He does not leave with one. It appears an Islanders player may have stomped on the twig on the bench, snapping the blade off, and provoking Necas into violence.

The rough stuff did not end there despite New York adding two more goals and extending their lead to 5-1. The game ended with Anders Lee, Jalen Chatfield, Brett Pesce, Jack Drury, Casey Cizikas, and Matt Martin all receiving ten-minute misconducts with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

New York will look to even up the series at two wins apiece on Sunday in a matinee matchup at UBS Arena on Long Island. Necas received no supplementary discipline for the punch so he will be in the lineup for Carolina.

Screenshot via MSGSN