Scott Laughton unhappy, confused over no-call vs. Panthers: ‘It’s a clear hit from behind’
Games against the Panthers are always going to be chippy, whether it’s in the regular season or the postseason, and Tuesday night was no exception. In the second period, Toronto’s Scott Laughton took a hit from behind into the boards by Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen that went ignored by the officials. Speaking to reporters following the game, Laughton expressed disbelief and contempt over the fact that there was no penalty called on the play.
“It’s a clear hit from behind,” Laughton said. “So, I’m not sure what they saw there. But, yeah, we found a way to stay disciplined, stuck together, and Domes [Max Domi] got us started there, started the game for us, and I thought we fed off it right away. Guys played physical.”
Laughton was then asked if he sought out an explanation from the referees, and confirmed that he did.
“They said that I saw him coming, which I did, but, I don’t know,” Laughton said. “I’ve got to watch the replay, I haven’t seen it yet, I was too fired up there to watch it.”
Laughton may not have hit the scoresheet in this game, but he and Steven Lorentz were crucial to the team’s win, specifically on the penalty kill. Matthew Knies raved about the ‘dirty work’ the two grinders put in to help the team secure the win.
“I think the third period, they had to kill two penalties back-to-back,” Knies said. “They do an incredible job, that’s the sacrifice that they make. Blocking shots, doing the dirty work, they’re rockstars on the penalty kill. So, they’ve been really good and we’re going to need them moving forward here.”
Head coach Craig Berube echoed Laughton’s sentiments, saying that it should have been a penalty, but he was also quick to move past it considering the team picked up two points.
“That’s a penalty,” Berube said. “They call that 95% of the time, but they didn’t call it that time. And, that’s whatever. I mean, I’m not gonna complain about it.”
The parity in the NHL remains as prevalent as ever, with the Maple Leafs currently sitting two points out of a wildcard spot despite the rough stretch of hockey to start the season. Every two points matters more than the previous two, but specifically on nights against rivals like the Panthers.