The Toronto Maple Leafs make the trip to Montreal tonight to face off against the Montreal Canadiens. The rivalry matchup is always an important battle between the two teams. For one Montreal native in Simon Benoit, tonight was supposed to be an opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Unfortunately for Benoit, he was informed this morning that he would be a healthy scratch and not be playing in front of everyone who he'd purchase tickets for. Instead struggling defender Timothy Liljegren would remain in the lineup. This despite Liljegren being awful as of late.
So what was the reasoning behind Benoit's scratch? It's simple, Timothy Liljegren holds his stick on the right. Despite playing poorly, Liljegren remains in the lineup because Keefe prefers to have a right-handed option.
This decision seems to go against everything, the Maple Leafs have been preaching recently. Sitting a fan favorite in front of friends and family is usually a business decision, but Benoit has proven and earned his spot. So watching him watch tonight's game from the press box will be a real shame.
