Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobeš punches Alex Tuch during heated Buffalo Sabres NHL Game 5

Thursday night’s Game 5 between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres was another spicy chapter in the rivalry between the two NHL playoff clubs. The incident that had everyone talking was Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš throwing a punch at Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch during a heated crease confrontation in the third period.

Of course, that became one of the biggest talking points of the night in the NHL news roundup. No penalties were called after the exchange, but the altercation was the latest sign of the increasing physicality between both teams as the postseason atmosphere continued to heat up.

Jakub Dobeš and Alex Tuch exchange punches during NHL Game 5

In a crowded sequence in front of the crease, Alex Tuch made contact with Jakub Dobeš near the net, and Dobeš responded with violence. Tuch appeared to jab at the Canadiens' goalie after a whistle in a battle for position, and Dobeš immediately retaliated with a punch to the chest of the Buffalo Sabres forward.

The confrontation briefly flared up as players from both sides gathered around the crease. The officials jumped in before things could boil over, and amazingly, there were no penalties on the play.

The exchange followed a difficult opening period for Dobeš, who came under heavy offensive pressure from Buffalo early in the game. But the Montreal Canadiens' goalie got comfortable as the night wore on and helped his team hold the line on the scoreboard.

Montreal had a comfortable lead of multiple goals heading into the third period, and the young netminder seemed to grow in confidence. Dobeš didn't shy away from the rough stuff happening around his crease. He showed emotion and grit that fired up his teammates right away.

One of the Canadiens defencemen who appeared to feed off the play while sitting on the bench was Arber Xhekaj. The moment also generated plenty of buzz in NHL updates and social media chatter, with many fans commending Dobeš for his ability to hold his own in the heat of a playoff environment.

The most recent NHL game results again highlighted the physicality of the Canadiens-Sabres rivalry that has developed throughout this postseason series.

Stay updated with the latest IPL Live Score Score, IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL Schedule, check the IPL Points Table, and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.