William Nylander could face official consequences for dirty cross-check on Florida Panthers defenseman

Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers clashed in an Atlantic Division showdown.

Head coach Paul Maurice and the Panthers beat the Leafs 5-1, and in a controversial incident, the Leafs' star forward William Nylander lashed out at his opponent Nate Schmidt.

He gave the Panthers defenseman a cross-check to the face, forcing him to briefly leave the game. As for Nylander, he received a double minor penalty.

Here's what happened:

Fans and experts are eager to see if William Nylander will have a hearing in front of the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

It's no secret that the NHL has often been harsh with the Maple Leafs, giving exemplary consequences. We saw it recently with Ryan Reaves' suspension for his dirty hit on Darnell Nurse in a game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Also, only a few days ago, the New Jersey Devils veteran Timo Meier was suspended for a game by the DoPS for a cross-check that looked like Nylander's hit on Schmidt.

If Meier got a one-game suspension for this hit, it wouldn't be surprising to see the DoPS act on Nylander's check.

Unfortunately, this could come at a worse time for the Leafs. They already have to deal with Max Domi, Auston Matthews, Bobby McMann, Max Pacioretty, Matthew Knies, Calle Jarnkrok, and David Kampf's injuries. If Nylander were forced to miss a game, this would be a terrible loss for the Leafs.

Their next game is set to go down on Saturday night, in Tampa Bay, against the Lightning. With the building rivalry between the two organizations, fans are eager to see a great game.

Leafs fans hope that Nylander will be able to be a part of it. After the Leafs' tough loss against the Panthers, the team needs to bounce back.

The DoPS has until 5 pm to announce Nylander's fate, and we'll make sure to report the latest updates to you.