Leafs' Auston Matthews Completely Unaware of NHL Rule That Cost Him a Penalty
Leafs Captain Auston Matthews initially had no idea why he was given a minor penalty when he grabbed Elvis Merzlikins' stick after the two collided with one another.
It's not always the case that an NHL player is unaware of the rule book, however Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was baffled and confused when he was given a minor penalty after grabbing Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins' stick during the first period last night.
With the Maple Leafs pressing in the offensive zone, Matthews went hard towards the net as Mitch Marner was batting away at the loose puck. As Matthews neared the front of the crease, he collided with the oft-aggressive goaltender who snatched the stick out of the captain's hands.
It was an interesting sequence because the referees didn't blow the play dead until Matthews came back to the scene of the crime and grabbed Merzlikins' loose stick, despite the Latvian goaltender having taken Matthews' paddle and was continuing to play with it.
Ultimately both players were given 2 minute minors with Merzlikins getting one for holding the stick and Matthews getting one for illegal equipment, which according to him he had no idea was an actual penalty:
Nothing came about during the subsequent 4-on-4. However, not too long afterwards, Adam Fantilli opened the scoring with a shorthanded tally, which was the first of three goals the Nobleton, Ontario native would score.
Matthews would eventually get the Leafs on the board in the third period but it was too little too late as the Blue Jackets already held a 4-0 lead prior to the goal. It wasn't the best showing from the captain either as he finished the game with a minus-3 rating as the Leafs saw their 3-game winning streak snapped.
They will look to get back in the win column with a much more disciplined effort their next time out which will be on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.
