Comparing the Pat Maroon hit last night to the hit that got Kyle Clifford suspended in last year's playoffs
In overtime of Game 3 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, Patrick Maroon landed a very dirty and dangerous hit from behind on Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe. What was more surprising was the result of the play, a non-call that was right in front of the officials. Maroon managed to get out of the situation clean, not only escaping a penalty call, but also avoiding supplemental discipline as well.
For Leaf fans, this hit looked familiar, near exact to last season's Kyle Clifford incident in Game 1 against the Bolts. After levelling Ross Colton from behind, Clifford received a one-game suspension. At the bare minimum, this should be deemed a penalty. Just because McCabe is not injured, it doesn't mean the play is clean. The Maroon hit is blatant and an obvious example of a player knowing what he's doing - just look how far McCabe is from the boards.
The double standards of a play like this are unfathomable, it's just another example of the inconsistency found within the NHL Department of Player Safety. It's hard to argue this is not a dirty hit, it's right on the back of the numbers condemned by a player who has a record of committing these plays on a routine basis. By the NHL not doing anything about situations like this, it enforces the idea that these plays are acceptable.
It is the NHL Player Safety's job to be reviewing plays that the referees missed. It seems that, just because McCabe is wearing the Maple Leaf symbol on the front, Maroon will likely get away with this untouched, absolutely shafting the Buds. The Department of Player Safety rarely announces these sorts of reviews in the afternoon, with Sam Lafferty's fine being subject to the only discipline coming after Game 3. Unbelievable.
| POLL | ||
23 AVRIL | 281 ANSWERS Comparing the Pat Maroon hit last night to the hit that got Kyle Clifford suspended in last year's playoffs Should Patrick Maroon be suspended for this hit? | ||
| Yes, absolutely | 269 | 95.7 % |
| No, I don't think so | 12 | 4.3 % |
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