The Philadelphia Flyers held the lead against the Chicago Blackhawks in the third period, despite the efforts of rookie sensation Connor Bedard to rally his team.
Tensions escalated at the beginning of the third period when Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler and Blackhawks forward Reese Johnson engaged in a heated altercation, exchanging punches before officials intervened to break it up.
This wasn't the first confrontation between Seeler and Johnson.
Blackhawks insider Charlie Roumeliotis noted that they had previously clashed during a team scrimmage several years ago, hinting at underlying animosity between the two players.
Johnson, an undrafted free agent who joined the Hawks during the 2020-21 season, saw action in five games, accumulating nine penalty minutes but no points.