Gary Bettman screwed the Leafs with hardest playoff schedule
The NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, screwed the Toronto Maple Leafs with the hardest playoff schedule in the League.
Indeed, the Leafs had an unfair disadvantage coming into this year's playoffs: their schedule.
Fans can't help but notice that not all teams played their first game of the playoffs this weekend. The Leafs and the Bruins played on Saturday, three days after their last regular-season game against the Lightning, which didn't leave the players much time to rest before the start of the playoffs. The Bruins played their last game on Tuesday, giving them one more day of rest than the Leafs.
The Oilers, Golden Knights, Stars, and Kings are set to play their first matchup tonight, meaning their players had two more days to rest and prepare.
Our colleagues over at Hockey Patrol highlighted this situation in a post on X:
"It doesn't take a genius to realize that the Oilers and Golden Knights starting the playoffs three days after the #MapleLeafs constitutes an unfair advantage. By then, William Nylander could have recovered, leading to a very different conversation."
"Meanwhile, it seems like Bettman is still showing preferential treatment to the Golden Knights, extending them an additional three days for their injured players to recuperate including their captain Mark Stone.
Intriguingly, the Leafs are set to play their second game before the Golden Knights even hit the ice for their first."
"Meanwhile, it seems like Bettman is still showing preferential treatment to the Golden Knights, extending them an additional three days for their injured players to recuperate including their captain Mark Stone.
Intriguingly, the Leafs are set to play their second game before the Golden Knights even hit the ice for their first."
If the Leafs played game one on Monday, William Nylander could've had more time to recover, possibly changing the outcome of the first matchup.
Do you think the Leafs had an unfair disadvantage going into the first round against the Boston Bruins?
Source: Puck Reporter - Gary Bettman and the NHL accused of screwing over the Leafs
| POLL | ||
22 AVRIL | 235 ANSWERS Gary Bettman screwed the Leafs with hardest playoff schedule Do you think the Leafs had an unfair disadvantage going into the first round against the Boston Bruins? | ||
| Yes | 108 | 46 % |
| No | 127 | 54 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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