It wouldn’t be a first-round series involving the Toronto Maple Leafs without some drama right out of the gate.
In the opening period of Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, the team was clearly pumped for the opportunity to show some physicality. So much so that fourth-liner Kyle Clifford threw a dangerous and unnecessary hit on Lightning winger Ross Colton.
After some conversation among league officials, Clifford was punished with a five-minute major boarding penalty and a game misconduct, leaving his total playing time for the first game of this much-anticipated series at 49 seconds.