Jakub Dobes and the Montreal Canadiens walked into a Toronto home opener where, by one account, the boos beat the cheers.
Rinky Report said Tuesday night that Leafs fans booed the Canadiens players louder during the introduction ceremony than they cheered their own team.
Consider the source, sure. The post came with a #GoHabsGo tag, so nobody's mistaking it for a neutral decibel meter.
Still, it rings true. Booing Montreal louder than you cheer your own roster is the most honest thing a Toronto crowd can do on opening night.
It's the neighbor you complain about at every barbecue. You can't stand him, but the party feels flat when he doesn't show.
What did Leafs fans have to cheer for? Kirill Marchenko was making his Toronto debut, and Gavin McKenna had already taken his rookie lap.
It was also the crowd's first look at the post-Knies Leafs, one day after the trade that sent Matthew Knies to Columbus.
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Leafs fans slammed for embarrassing gesture during Canadiens game/h2>
Dobes gets the net against Bobrovsky, according to TVA Sports insider Renaud Lavoie.
The Canadiens rolled through exhibition play at 4-1-0 before a 4-3 loss in Ottawa last Saturday.
The Leafs went 2-1-1 in the preseason and hadn't played since a 4-2 win in Ottawa last Wednesday.
It's the first of four meetings between the two clubs this season, and the next one comes back to Toronto on November 7.
Jim Hiller is coaching his first regular-season game since the Leafs hired him in June, across from a Martin St-Louis who has run the Montreal bench since February 2022.
The Leafs pay Auston Matthews $13,250,000 and William Nylander $11,500,000, which usually buys a louder welcome than this.
Montreal gets its own crowd on October 6 against Carolina, and that reception will sound a lot different.
The Leafs don't get much of a breather. The Islanders visit Wednesday night, so this crowd gets a second chance to find its voice right away.
Pregame boos are free. What that building sounds like by the third period depends entirely on the scoreboard.
Did Leafs fans cross the line by booing the Canadiens louder than they cheered their own team?
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