Mark Masters just relayed Darren Raddysh's and Jim Hiller's postgame comments after the Maple Leafs lost 3-2 to Utah tonight.
Both men pointed to the same moment, a Raddysh penalty, and neither one dressed it up.
The Maple Leafs came in at 8-6-2 before tonight's game, and Utah's win is the kind of result that stings in a tight Atlantic Division. Toronto had won its previous game in Vancouver on Saturday, so there was some positive momentum going in.
Masters shared that Raddysh took the blame himself, and that Hiller called the penalty a "stupid" one and said it cost his team.
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Raddysh was asked what happened. "I cross-checked him. Just battling. Just one too many, I guess," he said.
Hiller was blunter. "Take a stupid penalty. Let's call it what it is & it cost us. I thought we had all the momentum ...," the coach said, according to the post.
Toronto was already in the middle of a noisy week around the bench. Brian Burke had stepped in on the Gavin McKenna debate around Hiller's decision earlier today, ahead of this game.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Boston Bruins | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 23 | +20 |
| 2. Montreal Canadiens | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 20 | +6 |
| 3. Ottawa Senators | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 19 | +1 |
| 4. Tampa Bay Lightning | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 18 | +5 |
| 5. Florida Panthers | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 18 | +3 |
| 6. Toronto Maple Leafs | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 18 | +7 |
| 7. Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | -6 |
| 8. Detroit Red Wings | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 0 |
Why a Raddysh penalty carries extra weight
Before tonight, Raddysh had nine points in 16 games, four of them power-play assists. He is a defenseman this team leans on for offense, and that is exactly why a careless minor stands out.
His line was a -3 rating and 6 penalty minutes going in. Those aren't alarming numbers on their own, but a coach who says his team had the momentum and then lost it to a cross-check isn't going to shrug.
Credit Raddysh for not hiding. He didn't dispute the call, didn't blame the opponent and didn't try to spin a battle along the boards into something it wasn't. That's what a coach wants to hear, even if he's still angry.
Hiller's tone matters too. Calling a penalty stupid in public tells the room what the standard is, and it puts pressure on every skater to stay disciplined in a one-goal game.
The loss also adds to the questions already surrounding Toronto's lineup. Hiller was unsure about John Tavares' return earlier today, and the Maple Leafs can't afford to give away points while that picture stays unclear.
Toronto gets one more look at its discipline Saturday, November 7, when Montreal visits.
Should Jim Hiller sit Darren Raddysh after a penalty he called "stupid"?
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