One win is all the Maple Leafs needed to sweep the series against their bitter rivals, Ottawa. It seemed the Ottawa Senators were done after losing three in a row against the Leafs. Yet things got interesting when they won Game 4 in the Battle of Ontario. And tonight, Linus Ulmark was the impenetrable wall against the Leafs’ offense in Game 5. The frustration set in right from the first period as the Maple Leafs dominated but failed to score a single goal.
With 1:35 left in the first period, the Leafs became desperate to score a goal, and Morgan Rielly landed a massive hit on the Senators’ Thomas Chabot. Chabot, who intended to wrap the puck around behind the Leafs’ goal, didn’t know what him as he smashed face-first into the boards. The result? A two-minute penalty on Rielly. “The Maple Leafs defenseman gets penalized for cross-checking. Ottawa goes right back to the power play,” wrote The Athletic’s Lukas Wesse. Yet, the fans saw it differently.
“Should this have been more than a minor penalty?” the Spittin’ Chiclets asked while sharing Sportsnet’s clip of the offense. The verdict from Senators fans was unanimous, and it was a resounding no. In fact, they thought Aaron Ekblad went easier with his high forearm hit that put Brandon Hagel out of action yesterday. And Ekblad got a suspension. “This was worse than what Ekblad got suspended for,” commented one fan demanding equal punishment.
Should this have been more than a minor penalty? pic.twitter.com/VgchMZTzOM
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 29, 2025
This story is developing…
The post Calls Mount Against Maple Leafs Star as Brutal Senators Hit Make NHL Fans Demand Aaron Ekblad-Like Treatment appeared first on EssentiallySports.