Before the series even began, Sheldon Keefe shared that he expected the series would be "borderline violent", and it looks like the prophecies were self-fulfilling.
The Maple Leafs and Lightning series got aggressive less than 10-minutes in, as Kyle Clifford got a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding on Ross Colton. The first check Clifford throws in the clip is a legal check, but the second is clearly from behind and boarding.
The Maple Leafs put Clifford and Kase in, and benched Spezza in Game 1.
Sheldon Keefe says he rewatched the recent #TBLightning playoff runs: "When I look at their playoffs, especially their first round last year, they definitely led the league in skirmishes after the whistle and things that they're trying to do after the whistle."
The Maple Leafs are currently leading the game 1-0 at the end of the 1st period.