Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki calls out Cedric Pare.

The Montreal Canadiens are not trying to hide how they feel about Toronto Maple Leafs centerman Cedric Pare.

In spite of the fact that it was merely a preseason game, an exhibition contest that won't count on any scoresheet or in any record books, the game between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs on Saturday night was total chaos. Several fights broke out throughout the night including one involving former first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, but it would be an incident involving the aforementioned Pare and recently acquired forward Patrik Laine that would get all of the attention.

Pare and Laine were involved in a knee on knee collision that bent Laine's leg at a terrible looking angle, an incident that would result in Laine needing help getting back to the locker room. Laine appeared distraught as he was helped off the ice, throwing his gloves and helmet in frustration at the fact that he had just been injured in an exhibition game.

Laine's reaction no doubt fueled a great deal of anger on the Canadiens bench, and we got to witness that anger firsthand when Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj demolished Pare, this in spite of the fact that Pare showed no willingness to fight back. 

It was a decision on the part of Xhekaj that some have called out as crossing the line but, based on comments made by Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, I believe it is safe to suggest that the Canadiens don't feel the same way. Following the conclusion of Saturday night's chaotic contest, Suzuki expressed his belief that Pare's knee on knee contact with Laine had been no mere accident.

"I thought he lunged out pretty good," said Suzuki of the incident.

Although it is always difficult, if not downright impossible, to judge a players intent in a fast-paced sport like hockey... the photographic evidence doesn't look good for Pare.

The outrage from the Canadiens was palpable last night, and I suspect that we are likely to see more of the chaos that we witnessed on Saturday when these two teams meet again this season. We won't have to wait long either, with the Maple Leafs traveling to Montreal on October 9th to face the Canadiens in the regular season.