The Toronto Maple Leafs have been labelled as a soft team for what seems like the past 5 years, and have struggled to work their way out of that reputation. Despite having guys like Ryan Reaves, Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford, and other notable tough guys, the Leafs often failed to respond at the right moment for each other.
This year, though, things seem different. That was on full display last night during the Leafs versus Coyotes game when William Nylander got into a small scrum in front of the net with Sean Durzi. Immediately, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi stepped in for their star winger, and let everyone know that he isn't to be taken advantage of.
This is the difference maker when it comes to how gritty a team truly is. The Leafs have never failed to have someone on their roster who is willing to fight. The problem, though, is that the player is usually stuck on the bench with limited playing time, or even in the pressbox. So when something happens on the ice, there is no response at the moment.
This year, the Leafs seem to be chalked up with guys who are willing to get their hands dirty, up and down the lineup. Domi and Bertuzzi are two of those players, but also Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe have shown they are willing, and even Matthew Knies got involved earlier this year.
It's clear that Brad Treliving's vision of a tougher Leafs team is coming to fruition, and we will see how it plays out for him down the stretch.
As seen on Maple Leafs Daily - "Max Domi rag-dolls Sean Durzi for going after William Nylander"
POLL | ||
Do you think the Leafs are tougher this season? | ||
Yes | 538 | 74.8 % |
No | 181 | 25.2 % |
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