Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane get into heated altercation, leading to a healthy scratch
This weekend, it was a tale of two games, as the Leafs absolutely dominated the Edmonton Oilers up and down the ice in a dominant 6-3 and then fell flat on their faces against the Carolina Hurricanes last night, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Canes on the 2nd half of a back-to-back.
There were a lot of positives in both games for the Leafs, but in the 6-3 win over Edmonton, there was also a huge negative for the Oilers, as some tension seemed to be brewing between Leon Draisaitl and the always controversial Evander Kane.
During the loss in Toronto, the camera spotted Draisaitl and Kane arguing on the bench with one another. At first, the chat seemed to be between two players trying to communicate. However, as Draisaitl became more animated and visibly frustrated, making several forceful hand gestures, it became clear that something wasn't right.
The rumours have since spiraled out of control after Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch made Kane a last minute scratch against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday for what he called "maintenance" reasons.
The Oilers dropped a 5-3 decision to Ottawa last night, maybe not as a direct result of the Kane scratch, but it certainly didn't help matters either. The Oilers have now lost in back-to-back games and now hold only a 3-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for 2nd in the Pacific Division.
If there really is a rift forming in the Oilers' locker room, the team will have to do their best to ensure that the beef between the two top-six forwards is squashed before it begins to bleed into the games, if it hasn't already.
| POLL | ||
MARS 25 | 268 ANSWERS Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane get into heated altercation, leading to a healthy scratch Do you think Leon Draisaitl will remain an Oiler beyond next season? | ||
| Yes | 109 | 40.7 % |
| No, he wants out so bad | 159 | 59.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
