Toronto's Nazem Kadri collides with Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom
There was a mugging in more ways than one that took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota Wednedsay night.
First there was the game outcome, where Toronto could not hang onto a late lead and the Leafs wound up losing 2-1 to the Wild in a shoot-out.
Then there were a couple of on-ice incidents involving Leaf forward Nazem Kadri that will likely see him receive further discipline after a review by the National Hockey League's department of safety.
First Kadri bowled over Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom in his crease early in the first period for which he received an interference penalty. It's this hit that has Kadri facing supplementary discipline in a hearing set for Thursday afternoon.
Backstrom hung in the game for a little while longer before departing midway through the frame.
Kadri was at it again, leaving his skates when he nailed Mikael Granlund against the boards in the third period, a deed that resulted in a match penalty and an automatic ejection from the game.
After the game was over, Kadri was tried and convicted on Hockey Central on Sportsnet, with Doug MacLean convinced that Kadri will be suspended for his actions.
"This was a blatant attempt to run over a goaltender," MacLean espoused, wondering if the league will now view Kadri as a repeat offender given he was later tossed for his cheap shot on Granlund.
The Wild said that they are willing to put up with the Leafs cheap shots, especially after the whistle is blown, if it means a win in the standing
Leaf coach Randy Carlyle said he didn't think Kadri's hit on Granlund was that egregious
In Buffalo, the front page news involved the Sabres and their front-office housecleaning that saw the sorry outfit sweep Darcy Regier and Ron Rolston out the door, replacing them with Pat LaFontaine and Ted Nolan.
LaFontaine, a former star player with the Sabres, was handed the newly-created title of president of hockey operations and will now look for a new GM to replace Regier.
Nolan, the former Buffalo coach, was given back his old job, but just on an interim basis. Odds are that if the Sabres rebound from their lousy start the interim label will be removed.
"Their job now is rebuilding the bridges that Regier burned in the 16-plus years that he served as general manager," writes Bucky Gleason in the Buffalo News.
Voted the NHL coach of the year during his first stint with the Sabres, Nolan got a bit emotional when discussing his return.
As for the players, the Sabres know they have to hit the reset button after falling to the lowest depths of the NHL with a 4-15-1 mark.
Gay marks return to Memphis
Speaking of returns, Rudy Gay landed in Memphis for the first time since he was traded by the Grizzlies to the Toronto Raptors last January and he was greeted with a mixture of jeers and cheers during the player introductions.
The fans saved most of their disgust for the home town team that was roundly booed in the fourth quarter as the Raptors pulled away for a 103-87 victory in a game between to franchises that used to be billed as the Naismith Cup.
Gay, who still maintains a home in Memphis, admitted to some initial feelings of "bitterness" when the trade went down.
Trade rumor involving Bautista a fabrication
There was talk circulating at the GM meetings in Orlando on Tuesday that a trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies involving Toronto slugger Jose Bautista was in the offing.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has now gone on record as saying the story, that surfaced in Philadelphia, is a total fabrication.
The Globe's Robert MacLeod curates the best of sports on the web most weekday mornings