"What The F*** Are You Doing?!": Leafs Winger At Odds With Linesman

A bizarre scene at Scotiabank Arena Tuesday night, as a linesman got a little overly aggressive with a player while trying to break up an altercation. 

As time expired in the first period, a shoving match broke out, and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev got into it with Leafs' forward Michael Bunting. Linesman Dan Kelly stepped in immediately, grabbed the Leaf winger and not only didn't he let go, he forcefully escorted him across the ice and shoved him through the door in the boards. 

Are you cool with linesman Dan Kelly shoving Michael Bunting off the ice 🤨 pic.twitter.com/wrnfDAYw7Y

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) December 21, 2022

Bunting couldn't believe the rough-housing he got from the official, as he practically fell back through the door off the ice due to Kelly's force. "What the f*** are you doing? That was crazy!" he screamed/laughed at the ref. 

TSN's James Duthie, on the studio panel at the intermission, asked jokingly if the linesman should get a two-minute penalty for roughing. "It's too aggressive from an officiating standpoint," added analyst Darren Dreger. "It's gotta be a conversation with the director of officiating."

Bunting, who scored the only goal in the period to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead, had taken exception to Sergachev's actions at the end of the period, which included jabbing him in the face with his glove, as the Leaf forward already has eight stitches above his lip from a puck in the face the day before. 

Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports