Referee Kelly Sutherland is drawing heat tonight after a post claimed he loudly told the entire Maple Leafs bench to get lost.
It comes right after a rough weekend in Toronto. The Leafs lost 4-2 to Montreal on Saturday, then fell 4-0 to the Devils on Sunday night.
Sunny (@Takhar77) posted that Sutherland unloaded on the Leafs bench with an expletive, "very loudly," and added a jab about the idea that the Toronto whistle is the same as everywhere else.
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That jab is the real fuel here. Fans of one team believing the whistle works against them is nothing new, and it never fully goes away. But a referee being heard telling a bench off hands that belief a fresh exhibit.
Nothing in what we have shows the league has said a word about it. The post is the only account of the moment, and it gives no detail on what set it off.
The Leafs were 8-9-2 before Sunday's loss, which means they are already short on patience with how games are going. A team in that spot hears every comment from the officials a little louder.
Should officials be heard like this on the bench?
No. Referees ask players and coaches to keep it civil, and the standard has to run both ways. If the post is accurate about what was said and how loud, the league has a conversation to have with Sutherland.
The counterpoint is fair. Officials take abuse from benches all night, and reacting once in the heat of a game is human. Still, a message directed at an entire bench, not one player or one coach, is the part that stands out.
Whether the NHL addresses it publicly is the open question. Toronto's next game is Tuesday against the Avalanche, and the Leafs will want to put the noise behind them by puck drop.
Quick hits
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Greg Beacham reports the Ducks are the first team to score at least 5 goals in 8 straight games since the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings. That is a ridiculous stretch of offense.
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Connor Hellebuyck says he is "disappointed" he can't "face the music" in Winnipeg, with the Devils keeping him out of Tuesday's game. Not the homecoming he wanted.
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CALGARY FLAMES: Devin Cooley could not get to the overtime celebration fast enough Sunday night, according to Gino Hard. A backup goalie who is clearly all in on the moment.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Cutter Gauthier scored another hat trick as the Penguins lost 5-2 to the Ducks in Anaheim on Sunday night. Pittsburgh had no answer for him.
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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Kevin Kurz says Daniel Vladar was the only reason the Flyers left Calgary with a point after a 4-3 overtime loss. Without him, it gets ugly.
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