NHL Under Fire Over Leafs Playoffs Game 1 and 2 Schedule Announcement
Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman may be feeling some hot water after it was revealed how the Maple Leafs are scheduled to start the playoffs, as another sign of bias.
With the Maple Leafs gearing up for a very tough playoff run, the team needs all the help they can get from everyone involved. Craig Berube needs to be on his game behind the bench, the goaltending needs to show up, and the offense has to be that powerhouse we all know they can be.
However, the playoffs are such a ferocious beast, and time equals energy, and with teams needing to be as rested and prepared as possible, it's great that teams get a break before the playoffs begin.
Well, at least most teams.
Toronto's Grueling Schedule Shows NHL Bias
The Maple Leafs play their first playoff game on Saturday, April 19, followed by Monday night. Sure, that seems feasible, it's when the playoffs start. But it's the fact that Toronto is only given two days rest to prepare and get ready that's leaving some feeling like it's another case of Gary Bettman bias.
However, Nick Alberga; who originally reported the scheduled dates, was quick to relate that this is a tentative schedule, and it may not be set in stone just yet.
It's a brutal stretch for the team, and their schedule consists of the following games:
vs. Montreal - April 12
vs. Carolina - April 13
vs. Buffalo - April 15
vs. Detroit - April 17 (Final Regular Season Game)
vs. TBD - April 19 (First Round)
To put that into perspective, Florida ends their season on the 15th, Vegas ends on the 16th; same with Edmonton.
While Washington and Carolina both also end their season on the 17th, they also have more days in between games before that date.
It's feeling more and more like this is another case of Gary Bettman and the league trying to stifle their most profitable team, simply due to being Canadian.
He's already made their schedule brutal this season, and this just adds the cherry on top of the proverbial bias sundae the team has been given by its commish.
The best way for Toronto to circumvent this whole fiasco is to do what they should be doing regardless of scheduling, and that's win. What better way to tell Gary Bettman off than make him hand you the Stanley Cup in June?
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 2 | 1015 ANSWERS NHL Under Fire Over Leafs Playoffs Game 1 and 2 Schedule Announcement Is Gary Bettman personally trying to ruin the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup hopes? | ||
| Yes | 849 | 83.6 % |
| No | 166 | 16.4 % |
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