Wayne Simmonds Shuts Down the 'Maple Leafs Are Dirty' Notion

The Toronto Maple Leafs won't back down from a challenge but don't you call them dirty. The team played an intense game on Thursday night in Winnipeg that saw a little bit of everything, but one thing's for sure Wayne Simmonds doesn't want to hear this dirty talk:

Every time we've played them, they've tried to run us out of the building to start games. We come back, and we're physical, and now we're a dirty team? I don't buy that. We're defending ourselves.

Simmonds has made it clear since game one this season that the Leafs won't be pushed around. Now the team added a bit more edge with Nick Foligno and in his first game he showed he's not scared to muck it up with this questionable hit on Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.

Big hit by Nick Foligno on Morrissey pic.twitter.com/W7OV5Y2163
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 23, 2021

The same game saw Joe Thornton get fined for his interference hit on Mathieu Perreault and sure enough the reports started flying that the Leafs were a low-key dirty team:

Joe Thornton has been fined $3017.24 for this hit on Mathieu Perreault pic.twitter.com/gsDZFzquML
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 23, 2021

The media asked Jets head coach Paul Maurice on Friday if he felt the Leafs were a dirty team and this answer is awesome:

I don't think so. The league has said they're not, so we'll abide by the league's rulings. But they are a poorer team. There's some fines. Probably looking at some part-time jobs now.

There's certainly a difference in defending yourselves on the ice and playing dirty and right now it appears the Maple Leafs know perfectly how to tow the line.