The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unwittingly started the next NHL arms race.
Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle, for lack of an effective true checking line, has elected to create a fourth line in Toronto dedicated to physicality and, apparently, raw intimidation.
The Leafs' depth chart now bristles with players who are very comfortable dropping their gloves.
The most recent example was this Saturday's 6-0 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal.
The game was certainly over as a contest five minutes into the third period, when Korbinian Holzer's wrist shot gave the Leafs a unassailable 5-0 lead. Unfortunately for Montreal fans, that was not the end of the assailing that would take place on this night.
Fighting majors had already been given out to the Leafs' Mark Fraser and Michael Kostka earlier in the third, when all eyes fell upon Colton Orr, who had just had his stick tossed away by a Montreal player.
Orr turned, raced into the neutral zone and attempted to deliver what clearly would have been vicious hit on Montreal's Tomas Plekanec. The near-miss touched off another flurry of flying fists, in ...
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Article written by Jeff Hull
How Toronto May Have Started The Next NHL Arms Race
February 9th, 2013 by Jeff Hull Leave a reply »
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