Toronto Maple Leafs: Kadri Gets 3 Game Suspension

The Toronto Maple Leafs now face an uphill battle. 

As if game one wasn’t a big enough disaster already, The Toronto Maple Leafs will now be without their 2nd leading goal scorer for the next three games.

Emotion plays a huge role in sport, with the key being able to keep those emotions in check. The game started to unravel in the third period for the Leafs because of sloppy play and too many trips to the penalty box. One of these penalties was a boarding call against Nazem Kadri on a borderline hit behind the Leafs net on Tommy Wingels. Kadri, clearly not happy with the call started banging his stick on the penalty box glass in frustration.

Playing with emotion is part of what makes Kadri such a good player. On Thursday night Kadri let that emotion effect him negatively. Late in the third period, with the game firmly in the Bruins hand Mitch Marner was sandwiched by a pair of Bruins players, one of which was Tommy Wingels.

Dirty Hit

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What followed will force the Leafs to play the next three without their second line center. Wingels fell to his knees after the contact with Marner, with Kadri locked in on him. You could tell something bad was about to happen, before it even did. The sometimes impulsive and erradic Nazem Kadri had taken over and it was too late to stop. He finished his check right into Wingels head. Every fan in the building, and the ones watching at home knew this would be trouble for Kadri and the Leafs.

The Nhl has made it clear that headshot have no place in the game. There has often been the belief that come playoff time almost anything goes, but this is a new age. With Kadri being a repeat offender, 2-3 games was expected. Kadri has no one to blame but himself. The problem is there is no consistency coming from the Department of Player Safety. Incidents that seem like  no brainer suspensions have resulted in only fines, while minor infractions have led to suspension. All anybody asks is that there is consistency.

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This is no doubt a  blow to the Leafs chances getting out of the first round. The loss of Kadri will be magnified in games 3 and 4 back in Toronto, Where Mike Babcock will have last change and could have matched Kadri with the Bergeron line. This is  by no means the final nail in the Leafs coffin, as some fans on twitter make it seem. The Leafs biggest strength is their forward depth, and now is the time to show it.