<p>Preseason hockey can either be meaningless, boring hockey, or sheer chaos. Saturday night&#8217;s Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Montreal Canadiens was the latter.</p>
<p>The main event (if you want to call it that) began with a knee-on-knee hit by Maple Leafs&#8217; depth forward Cedric Pare on Canadiens forward Patrik Laine that caused him to leave the game after a pretty gruesome-looking twist on contact.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Patrik Laine is forced to leave the game with a knee injury after colliding with Cedric Pare. <a href="https://t.co/3rAOIRrfrQ">pic.twitter.com/3rAOIRrfrQ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1840171419973398866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>For Montreal, it&#8217;s a potentially huge blow to a player who boasts 30-plus goal-scoring potential and was primed for a rebound season with the rebuilding Canadiens. Needless to say, they nor their fans were happy about the play, especially not enforcer Arber Xhekaj, who took matters into his own hands and fought Pare in an attack akin to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/blue-jackets-gudbranson-suspended-one-game-for-altercation-with-panthers-cousins/">Erik Gudbranson&#8217;s takedown</a> of Nick Cousins following a dirty hit last season.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="da" dir="ltr">Arber Xhekaj unloads on Pare after he injured Laine. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHabsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHabsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/lq75y4fMmN">pic.twitter.com/lq75y4fMmN</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcPDumont/status/1840169232341905846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Xhekaj was charged with 27 (!) minutes worth of penalties including a ten-minute misconduct, a ten-minute instigator, a five-minute fighting major, and an additional two minutes for instigating, causing him to be ejected from the game and resulting in a rare seven-minute power play for the Maple Leafs. If you need to go back and read that paragraph again, or even twice more, I don&#8217;t blame you.</p>
<p>Lost in all of this chaos was another fight that took place in the second period following an earlier hit in the first period, before all of the Pare/Xhekaj drama took off. Leafs&#8217; depth defenceman Marshall Rifai stepped up for a hit on top Canadiens defensive prospect David Reinbacher, who seemed to land awkwardly on his left leg and also had to leave the game as a result.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This didn&#39;t look like a lot of contact, but Reinbacher left the game in a lot of pain after this play.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHabsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHabsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/oMgLy28Dfe">pic.twitter.com/oMgLy28Dfe</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcPDumont/status/1840167883109728432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>This one wasn&#8217;t nearly as vicious &#8211; it actually looked like a pretty routine hit, but it will never leave a good taste in the opponent&#8217;s mouth when your top-five pick from 2023 is injured following a hit from your team. As such, former first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky took exception to the events in the second period and dropped the gloves with Rifai. Unlike the first fight, you can make the argument that Rifai came out victorious in this one.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="de" dir="ltr">Wow … Juraj Slafkovsky drops the mitts with Marshall Rifai! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MontrealCanadiens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MontrealCanadiens</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TorontoMapleLeafs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TorontoMapleLeafs</a> <a href="https://t.co/GLe3tp2jbM">pic.twitter.com/GLe3tp2jbM</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissinCurfew/status/1840187048558289152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>How about one more for good measure? Here&#8217;s a tilt between Leafs defenceman Philippe Myers and Canadiens forward Josh Anderson, if you want to call it that.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Josh Anderson vs Philippe Myers, but it&#39;s a carnival ride<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeafsForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeafsForever</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHabsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHabsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/NvQ5o3QtUl">pic.twitter.com/NvQ5o3QtUl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jordan Jacklin (@jordan_jacklin) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordan_jacklin/status/1840195915103031469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Even though there&#8217;s an almost certain chance that neither of Pare or Rifai will be in the opening night lineup for the Leafs, and a greater-than-zero percent chance Xhekaj isn&#8217;t in Montreal&#8217;s opening night lineup (suspension pending), the events from this game could be setting up an exciting season opener between the Leafs and Habs on October 9. Just ask Canadiens defenceman Logan Mailloux.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Montreal’s Logan Mailloux on why tonight’s game has had a rough edge through 40 minutes:  “It’s the Leafs. Why else?”</p>
<p>&mdash; Lance Hornby 🇺🇦 (@sunhornby) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunhornby/status/1840193386218758412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Maple Leafs have two preseason games remaining before opening up the season against the Canadiens the following week.</p>


Preseason hockey can either be meaningless, boring hockey, or sheer chaos. Saturday night's Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Montreal Canadiens was the latter.

The main event (if you want to call it that) began with a knee-on-knee hit by Maple Leafs' depth forward Cedric Pare on Canadiens forward Patrik Laine that caused him to leave the game after a pretty gruesome-looking twist on contact.

https://www.twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1840171419973398866

For Montreal, it's a potentially huge blow to a player who boasts 30-plus goal-scoring potential and was primed for a rebound season with the rebuilding Canadiens. Needless to say, they nor their fans were happy about the play, especially not enforcer Arber Xhekaj, who took matters into his own hands and fought Pare in an attack akin to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/blue-jackets-gudbranson-suspended-one-game-for-altercation-with-panthers-cousins/">Erik Gudbranson's takedown</a> of Nick Cousins following a dirty hit last season.

https://www.twitter.com/MarcPDumont/status/1840169232341905846

Xhekaj was charged with 27 (!) minutes worth of penalties including a ten-minute misconduct, a ten-minute instigator, a five-minute fighting major, and an additional two minutes for instigating, causing him to be ejected from the game and resulting in a rare seven-minute power play for the Maple Leafs. If you need to go back and read that paragraph again, or even twice more, I don't blame you.

Lost in all of this chaos was another fight that took place in the second period following an earlier hit in the first period, before all of the Pare/Xhekaj drama took off. Leafs' depth defenceman Marshall Rifai stepped up for a hit on top Canadiens defensive prospect David Reinbacher, who seemed to land awkwardly on his left leg and also had to leave the game as a result.

https://www.twitter.com/MarcPDumont/status/1840167883109728432

This one wasn't nearly as vicious - it actually looked like a pretty routine hit, but it will never leave a good taste in the opponent's mouth when your top-five pick from 2023 is injured following a hit from your team. As such, former first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky took exception to the events in the second period and dropped the gloves with Rifai. Unlike the first fight, you can make the argument that Rifai came out victorious in this one.

https://www.twitter.com/MissinCurfew/status/1840187048558289152

How about one more for good measure? Here's a tilt between Leafs defenceman Philippe Myers and Canadiens forward Josh Anderson, if you want to call it that.

https://twitter.com/jordan_jacklin/status/1840195915103031469

Even though there's an almost certain chance that neither of Pare or Rifai will be in the opening night lineup for the Leafs, and a greater-than-zero percent chance Xhekaj isn't in Montreal's opening night lineup (suspension pending), the events from this game could be setting up an exciting season opener between the Leafs and Habs on October 9. Just ask Canadiens defenceman Logan Mailloux.

https://twitter.com/sunhornby/status/1840193386218758412

The Maple Leafs have two preseason games remaining before opening up the season against the Canadiens the following week.

Maple Leafs’ Pare, Rifai pulled into fights after hits to Canadiens’ Laine, Reinbacher

Is it fair for fans to boo the first-place Maple Leafs?

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe (center) stands behind the bench before the start of the third period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose.

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