Despite the low-scoring, slower-paced games, an incident happened, resulting in numerous scrums between the two teams, both of whom had tough people on their side.
Tensions were at an all-time high. After this attempted hit, the game came down to the final seconds, and Kucherov ripped an unnecessary shot on Igor Shesterkin, putting the New York Rangers up 2 goals with seconds remaining. The New York Rangers didn't like it, and a brawl ensued.