The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to try and build their case as one of the toughest teams in the NHL under Craig Berube. Several players have stepped up their physicality in recent games and tonight defenseman Jake McCabe tried to join that group. Early in the first period off of a faceoff, Jake McCabe decided to drop the gloves with St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn.
The two must've decided before the puck was dropped that they were going to go and immediately dropped their gloves. After wrestling for a bit Schenn got in several big punches and rag-dolled McCabe sending him to the ground and ended the fight. The fight would go on to be seen as a domination from the Blues captain and yet another awful moment for the Maple Leafs. Luckily the loss of the fight didn't seem to impact the team too negatively as they came back strong.
Just a few minutes after the fight between Jake McCabe and Brayden Schenn, the Maple Leafs got the scoring going in the first period. A point shot from Maple Leafs defenseman Connor Timmins led to a rebound in front that Mitch Marner put home.
Despite his controversial status with Toronto Maple Leafs fans Mitch Marner continues to play well. As a result, he also likely has continued to drive his asking price on his next contract up as well. For now, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead 1-0 and have a 12-4 shot advantage over the St. Louis Blues so far.