Gary Bettman and the NHL caught screwing over the Maple Leafs
Today is the third day of the 2024 NHL playoffs and we already have a controversy on our hands. Some have pointed out how the differences in the schedule give some teams an advantage over others.
Perhaps most notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs started their playoff run of the very first day of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the NHL in using a rotating-style schedule this year, with four games on every day. As a result, some teams will not play their first game until tomorrow, giving them two whole extra days of rest.
It's now obvious Gary Bettman is still showing preferential treatment to the Golden Knights, extending them an additional three days for their injured players to recuperate including their captain Mark Stone.
Intriguingly, the Leafs are set to play their second game before the Golden Knights even hit the ice for their first.
#LeafsForever
That rest could have been very useful to every team, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perhaps most notably, the team went without Willian Nylander is game one against the Bruins due to an injury. Had that game not come until tomorrow, there is a very good chance he would have been well enough to play. Maybe he even would have been the deciding factor in the contest. That being said, it does appear as though he will be back for game two.
We will never know if the Leafs actually would have one with Nylander in the lineup, but he certainly would have helped. Unfortunately though, that is just how the cookies crumble sometimes. The Leafs will just have to regroup and show what they can do tomorrow for game two against the Bruins.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the NHL schedule makers purposefully had the Leafs start their series early to give them a disadvantage? | ||
| Yes | 991 | 53.2 % |
| No | 871 | 46.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
