How Bobby McMann's physical edge is quietly changing the Maple Leafs' on-ice identity
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
For the second time in as many games, Bobby McMann showed a fiery side by sticking up for his teammates and fans are beginning to appreciate his passion.
Normally a player who is known for his speed and goal-scoring prowess, Bobby McMann is also a guy who doesn't mind throwing his weight around -- and seems to be the only one.
Sitting second on the team with 43 hits, he's a freight train on the ice and using all of his 6'2, 217-pound frame and recently has shown a lot more aggressiveness, and twice has stood up for his teammates.
What happened after Robertson was shoved
First, when Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov levelled Scott Laughton leading to his removal from the game, McMann took exception and dropped the gloves in a valiant effort against the much bigger Zadorov.
Then one night later, after Nick Robertson was shoved into the boards, McMann came skating over and immediately got in the face of Carolina's Charles Alexis Legault:
Legault actually suffered an injury on the play when Robertson's skate seemed to cut his hand, and he left for the dressing room although still decided to scrap with McMann.
It was back-to-back nights where McMann got frustrated and while you can chalk it up to the team's performance, his teammate's safety clearly comes first.
Why Bobby McMann is earning respect in Toronto
But it shows that McMann isn't afraid to get dirty, and with the team lacking that extra grit (looking at you Dakota Joshua) it's great to see the forward step up.
It's got the Maple Leafs fans starting to turn the corner on McMann as well.
The Leafs Nation took to social media to give McMann his flowers after two straight games showing that type of fire both against Boston and Carolina:
It's a product of the fact the team has shown a scarce amount of fire to start the season, and McMann seemed to echo the team's frustrations with their slow start.
Fans don't love the fights alone, but that McMann is showing a side of the team we expected at the beginning of the year.
Stressing a 'grittier, nastier' team to play against, the performances recently have shown anything but.
They are getting dominated on the scoresheet and their players are sitting ducks for opponents to hit because they know it won't lead to much retaliation as we've seen previously.
But knowing McMann is tired of it and is willing to put his body on the line should set the precedent for others like Joshua, Max Domi and Simon Benoit to stick up for their teammates -- who remembers Benoit's Superman Punch?
That spawned a dozen memes, and made the Maple Leafs fans' jaw drop that he tried to pull it off but it showed that last season the team had the passion.
McMann is trying his best to unleash that once again, and it's up to the rest of the team to follow suit and start playing for each other instead of themselves.
And finally start implementing the identity they wanted since the beginning of the season.
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