Let’s be perfectly clear: The Boston Bruins aren’t exactly angels. They, like virtually every hockey team on planet Earth, have a little dirty in their game.
But, when it comes to Boston’s first-round playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s hard to argue that the Leafs haven’t been the greasier outfit.
If you’ve watched the first six games of the series, you know Toronto is guilty of excessive slew-footing. Hockey legend and current Sportsnet commentator Don Cherry brought attention to the issue last week, and Mike Babcock’s team only has gotten worse as the series has progressed.
Watch Cherry talk about the Leafs’ slew-footing antics at the 2-minute mark in video below:
The Leafs were at their slew-footing worst in Sunday’s Game 6, which the Bruins won to force a Game 7 in Boston on Tuesday.
(You can click here to watch one glaring example. And you can click here to watch another example, albeit one that may have been helped along by Bruins winger Joakim Nordstrom.)
So, how do the Bruins feel about all this nonsense? Winger Sean Kuraly and head coach Bruce Cassidy discussed the topic Monday after Bruins practice.
Here’s what they had to say, via CLNS Media’s Jimmy Murphy:
(Note: Skip ahead to the 2:30 mark of the Cassidy video.)
#NHLBruins F Sean Kuraly on the slew-footing like contact from #LeafsForever players this series:
"Yeah we've noticed it for sure and obviously the Nordstrom one was the worst because they get a power play, but hey, it's the playoffs. I'm sure we're doing stuff they don't like"
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) April 22, 2019
🎥VIDEO🎥#NHLBruins head coach Bruce Cassidy says he and his staff are on top of #LeafsForever repeated slew-footing like actions and have discussed with league officials. @featurd_io @MurphsHockeyLaw
Watch here: https://t.co/m6JOGe6ZMe
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) April 22, 2019
Again, if you’re searching for a totally innocent hockey team, you’ll be searching for quite a while. The truth is, the best teams often are among league’s greasiest.
That said, it’s clear the Leafs have gone a bit too far in one particular area of hockey nastiness.
