Analyst Destroys The Leafs For Being Soft

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Dawson McKenzie
October 20, 2023 (6:45 PM)

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This NHL analyst recently laid into the Leafs for being too soft in last night's Panthers game after their star received a questionable hit.

Craig Button Thinks it's the Same Old Leafs After Lack of Response to Nylander Hit

Many Leaf fans thought that the toughness question had been answered this offseason, wit the question of Ryan Reaves and other gritty players to play up and down the lineup like Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. However, in last night's Panthers game, William Nylander received a massive hit from Dmitry Kulikov that went unpenalized and which didn't get a response from any Leaf players.

Craig Button had some strong words to say on the matter, ragging the Leafs for their lack of a response.

"Absolutely, and it's an issue that they have to address. And the issue is, are you going to stand up for yourselves and are you not going to let an opponent push you around?

"They played the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, the team that took them out of the playoffs and pushed them around. What happens, William Nylander gets drilled from behind by Kulikov, and nothing! Crickets! And this team, everyone talks about them being a Stanley Cup contender. I don't see it. Until they stand up for themselves and establish that nobody will take advantage of any one of our players and us, they're not a Stanley Cup contender."

Button Believes Leafs Have a Long Way to Go Before Being Cup Contenders

Button continued his rant on live TV, saying that he doesn't think the Leafs have what it takes to contend for the Cup if they don't want to stick up for their star players. He recalled Leafs' President Brendan Shanahan's time in Detroit as a prime example of what needs to happen to win a cup.

I'm gonna go back to March of 1997, The Detroit Red Wings had been pushed around by the Colorado Avalanche. (Leafs president) Brendan Shanahan was on that team. And in that game in Detroit, the Red Wings said, 'It ends here! No more! Nobody's taking advantage of us!' And they went on and established that and won the Stanley Cup that year and again in 1998.

Until the Leafs do that, they're not a Stanley Cup contender. They have to show that they're going to stand up for one another and that they're not going to be pushed around. That was another example of what they haven't learned and until they learn it, I ain't buying them."

The Leafs are certainly a tougher team this year, that is no question. The question remains as to if that toughness is enough to bring them close enough to win games when it matters.

As seen on Hockey Feed - "Craig Button buries the Leafs for not responding to Nylander hit"