The Edmonton Oilers suffered their second consecutive loss on Tuesday, falling 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Following the defeat, fans are now criticizing officials after an incident that saw Andrew Mangiapane receive a roughing penalty.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have come to life following a six-game losing streak, now winning three games in a row. Their latest victory came on Tuesday against their Canadian rivals, the Oilers, with a 5-2 result.
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Two goals in 31 seconds
Two power-play goals within 31 seconds in the third period gave the Leafs a 4-2 lead that the Oilers could not overcome.
“Obviously, right now, points are at a premium, and we need every point that we can get. Anytime you can go out there, give your team a chance to win, make some big saves, and do your job back there, it feels good to be able to do that. I’m happy for all the guys,” Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who made 34 saves, told NHL.com after the game.
Officials under fire from fans
Stolarz was also involved in a penalty call that has angered fans. In the first period, Oilers forward Andrew Mangiapane stopped in front of Stolarz after a play. Stolarz took exception and confronted Mangiapane, and Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson then joined in, punching Mangiapane from behind. Mangiapane managed to turn around and land one punch on Ekman-Larsson before falling to the ice. Both players were assessed two-minute penalties for roughing.
Fans are livid
Fans online expressed disbelief that Mangiapane was penalized after being attacked by two opponents.
“As legalized gambling increases, quality of refereeing goes down,” one fan wrote on X.
“I pretty much hate the Oilers. But the fact that Mangiapane got a penalty out of this makes me livid,” another commented.
“That was the start of horrible reffing. Leafs’ star of the game was definitely wearing a striped jersey,” a third fan wrote ironically.
You can watch the incident below.
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