The NHL appears to cheat the Maple Leafs in Round 2!
Fans have noticed and are pissed!
HockeyFeed
A strange detail from the schedule of the second round series in the NHL caught the attention of some Toronto Maple Leafs fans and pundits. Game 3 of the series, in Florida, will take place on Sunday, leaving a three-day break between contests, and then Game 4 takes place on Wednesday… another long break.
According to Cathal Kelly of the Globe and Mail, the NHL accepted the silly demands of the Panthers, who “don’t want to play this Saturday night at home because 60 kilometres away, the Miami Heat are playing that afternoon.”
Kelly believes this is unacceptable and a way to “stiff Canada with extended break in” the series.
“If this were a logistics problem – switching an arena to ice from hardwood – then okay, understood. It isn’t. It isn’t even a scheduling problem. The Panthers just don’t want to play on the same day as the Heat.
For reasons that are its own, the NHL agreed with that. So /Hockey Night in Canada/becomes Hockey Night for Florida. They’ll play the game on Sunday instead.
They won’t play the next game until Wednesday, meaning an unusual three days off.”
Kelly believes this won’t benefit the Maple Leafs who need momentum in the series, which the Panthers now lead 2-0 heading back home. The Leafs need to strike on their frustration sooner than later and especially need to feel that desperation from last night's game in the next contest. Kelly also points to the Edmonton Oilers and their fans who were forced to change their schedule, as they thought they’d play Friday in Las Vegas. But because there’s a Leafs-sized hole in the Saturday night schedule, they will play on Saturday in Vegas.
The Maple Leafs won’t say anything because they won’t use it as an excuse in the series. However, fans and pundits have been vocal and we can understand why.
But, we all know, this isn’t the first time or last the NHL makes stupid decisions with scheduling…
Recommended articles:
