In what can only be described as a complete gongshow, the Leafs dropped their final meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-1. Over the course of the game tempers flared as the referees allowed the game to descend into complete chaos. If there is a positive to losing 8-1 to your likely playoff matchup, its that the Leafs didn't take the loss lying down. There were well over 100 minutes worth of penalties handed out, 69 of them to Leafs players. By far the funniest though, was Kyle Clifford's match penalty for hitting Corey Perry over the head with his stick.
A scrum had broken out after the whistle when Perry skated too close to the net for Morgan Rielly's liking, Rielly grabbed him and the festivities kicked off from there. From across the scrum, Kyle Clifford, now holding his stick upside down, reached over and, for lack of a better term, bonked a helmetless Corey Perry over the head with it.
The referees decided to actually do their job and reviewed the play before deciding that the bonk was worthy of a match penalty. Clifford was ejected from the game and will likely face supplemental discipline. I have to say, given the chance, I'd take a $5,000 fine to whack Corey Perry over the head too. Perry was not injured on the play. If a suspension is the result, it still might be worth it.
