The referees handed out an apple and one of the worst penalties of the season to the CH

Mathis Therrien
The referees handed out an apple and one of the worst penalties of the season to the CH
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

For the second time this season, the Montreal Canadiens won in regulation against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, meaning the Habs finished their Toronto road trip with four points out of a possible four.

It was the Tricolore's final trip of the season to their second home—the Toronto Public Library—and it went well, with a 4–2 victory in front of their fans, who turned out in droves.

Chants of “Go Habs Go” and “Olé Olé Olé” could be heard on several occasions, but things could have ended very badly in the third period.

Indeed, leading 3–0 and in complete control of the game, the Habs witnessed a repeat of Tuesday's Winnipeg Jets comeback, as the Leafs scored two goals in 55 seconds to cut the lead to one goal.

We were obviously all on the edge of our seats, but also furious at the referees, who single-handedly brought the Leafs back into the game with a completely ridiculous penalty.

They sent only Arber Xhekaj to the penalty box after the following sequence. Obviously, it makes no sense at all, given that Kirby Dach was taking multiple dirty punches to the face.

Sending Arber Xhekaj to the penalty box after a scuffle like that is far too easy a call—one the referees seem to be really getting a kick out of making.

As soon as they see the name “Xhekaj” on a jersey, the referees are quick to raise their arms—much more so than with anyone else.

But the problem last night wasn't ejecting Xhekaj—who was looking for trouble by charging the net—but rather sending only the “sheriff” off without issuing any other penalties to at least one Leafs player.

It seems that with the score at 3–0, the referees wanted to intervene by trying to get Toronto back into the game.

Well, it worked: William Nylander scored on that power play, and moments later, Gavin McKenna capitalized on a lucky rebound to cut the Leafs' deficit to one goal.

In short, the referees handed the Habs one of the worst calls of the season.

In fact, right in the middle of the second period, we witnessed one of the most unusual moments I've ever seen, when referee T.J. Luxmore pulled a green apple out of his pocket and offered it to Jacob Fowler during a stoppage in play.

Come on, what's that all about?

Seriously, when I saw the clip this morning, I burst out laughing—especially imagining what Fowler must have been thinking as he politely declined the referee's offer with a shake of his head.

I guess it was Fowler's refusal that prompted the referees to make that awful call in the third period. #Sarcasm

Fortunately, the Habs learned from Tuesday's loss and sealed the Leafs' fate by capitalizing on a power-play goal—an aspect of the game that's been a real struggle for the Habs this season.

Zachary Bolduc has scored three of the Habs' eight power-play goals this season. The Habs have a power-play efficiency of 15.2%, or 8-for-52.

It was a very important goal, and the guys showed they've grown from the disaster against the Jets.

In short, a great win for the Canadiens against their main division rival, whom they won't face again until Christmas—December 26—this time at the Bell Centre.


In Brief

– He's behind the Hurricanes' success.

– Interesting.

– Well done, but too bad.

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