Watch: Will Borgen and Liam O'Brien get into nasty punching battle as Seattle Kraken seal Stanley Cup playoff spot

Seattle Kraken defenseman Will Borgen and Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O'Brien dropped gloves during their clash on Thursday.

Watch the Borgen-O'Brien altercation video below:

During the third period, Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki interfered and took a late hit on Eli Tolvanen, resulting in a penalty. Officials had to intervene after Liam O'Brien and Will Borgen landed solid punches on each other before collapsing on the ice.

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Seattle Kraken down Arizona Coyotes 4-3 to book playoff berth

The Seattle Kraken became the first Wild Card team to qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday with their 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. The Kraken will compete in the postseason for the first time in their history.

Jared McCann opened the scoring sheet for the Seattle Kraken after putting the puck in the net at 15:43 of the first period. Vince Dunn gave the team a 2-0 lead at 00:28 of the second period. Jordan Eberle then extended the team's lead to 3-0 from a wrist shot at 5:52 of the second period.

The Coyotes' Barrett Hayton scored 12 minutes into the second period to trim the Kraken's lead to 3-1 before heading into the third period. Matty Beniers scored the fourth goal for the Kraken, while the Coyotes managed only one goal in the third period, resulting in a 4-2 Seattle victory.

The club only made its NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. The team finished last in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. This Wild Card spot thus makes for a remarkable accomplishment for coach Dave Hakstol, who turned things around for the club in its second year in the league.

Following clinching their playoff berth, Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said (via NHL.com):

"We're not going to be satisfied with getting in now. Everybody in this room a year and 10 months ago was new, but we've grown a little bit. And we've probably just put a little building block of tradition in place by solidifying a playoff spot."

When it comes to playoff experience, the Kraken have depth on their roster. The team is made up of players who have won the Stanley Cup in the previous seven finals. Hakstol emphasized the importance of having such players on his team, saying:

"When you look around and you see quality people and quality National Hockey League players that you know, it gives confidence to everybody."

These experienced players will play a key role as the Kraken takes to the playoffs in ice hockey's top flight for the first time.