Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford has been suspended for one game after hitting Ross Colton from behind just minutes into Game 1 between Toronto and Tampa Bay.
That didn't take long.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford has been suspended for one game after hitting Ross Colton from behind just minutes into Game 1 between Toronto and Tampa Bay.
Colton did not have the puck and had his back to the play. The infraction took place seven minutes into the game and resulted in a five-minute penalty, which the Leafs killed off in an eventual 5-0 win.
Clifford, along with Wayne Simmonds, was fined by the NHL on April 22 after hitting Corey Perry in the face with his stick in the last meeting between the two teams.
Known to be a tough-as-nails forward, Clifford is no stranger to playing on the edge, but that's not the way you want to start the playoffs.
As a result, Jason Spezza will likely draw back into the Maple Leafs lineup after watching from the press box as a healthy scratch for game one.