If there is an enduring image of the Toronto Maple Leafs pulling away from the competition in the North Division, it may not be an Auston Matthews snipe, or a perfectly placed pass from Mitch Marner. Travis Dermott golf-clapping the Edmonton Oilers off the ice on Monday night, in some ways, encapsulates how dominant the Maple Leafs have been against their divisional opponents and it’s also the most hilarious moment of their season, too.
With Toronto holding a 3-0 lead in the final minute of Monday’s game, a routine scrum broke out in front of Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson. Frustrations were boiling over for the Oilers, who were on the cusp of being blanked by the Maple Leafs for the second consecutive game, and no one was more upset than Josh Archibald – although one could make the argument Mike Smith was equally upset, charging out of his net during the final minutes of the game.
To be clear, this isn’t a particularly entertaining fight, although Jason Spezza and the other standbys look bemused. Archibald picks a fight with a willing Dermott, wrestles him to the ground shortly after and the refs break it up.
Archibald inexplicably skates towards the Maple Leafs’ bench and points in celebration. We’re not trying to be the fun police here, but celebrating after getting blanked in back-to-back games isn’t a good look, and Dermott responded with an absolutely hilarious golf-clap, as if to tell Archibald that he has nothing to be proud of. William Nylander also offered a sarcastic stick-tap as Archibald skated by.
Dermott golf-clapping the Oilers on their way out is a pretty damning image in a larger sense, particularly as the Maple Leafs built an eight-point lead with a game in hand over their newfound Western rival. If the Maple Leafs indeed run away with the North, let’s all remember this poignant and hilarious moment.
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