Maple Leafs’ Phil Kessel and David Booth get into scrap during practice

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Phil Kessel and David Booth got into it with each other during a drill at practice Friday morning.

The frustration is starting to boil over for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

During a special teams drill at the team’s morning practice, Phil Kessel and David Booth got into an intense shoving match and had to be separated by teammates, according to SportsNet’s Chris Johnston.

Phil Kessel was on the powerplay unit while David Booth was on the penalty-killing unit. Booth and Kessel were apparently battling for the puck along the boards when the two started going at each other. There were no punches thrown, but the two got into a very intense shoving match and had to be separated by teammates.

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Booth downplayed the scrap when reporters asked about it after practice.

"It happens. Guys get frustrated all year. I think that was just a drill that promoted competition. It’s actually good to see that. Hopefully we can take some of that competitive nature into the game tomorrow. It’s the game of hockey, stuff like that is bound to happen.  I don’t think it’s a big deal at all, but obviously when it happens here it might create a little bit of a ruckus."

Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf had a similar response.

"We’re competitive guys and sometimes tempers flare and emotions boil over but to be completely honest with you there’s nothing more to it than a little bit of a skirmish or scrum, whatever you want to call it, but that’s part of competing in practice and sometimes that happens. It’s not the last time you’re going to see it."

This scrap comes after Kessel got irritated with reporters earlier in the week for questioning the team’s compete level and effort. Kessel is clearly growing more and more frustrated with the state of the Leafs, and possibly even his own production. It’s worth noting that, since February, Booth has out-produced Kessel in both goals and points.

Kessel declined to speak to the media today after practice.

Believe it or not, what Booth and Phaneuf are saying isn’t just lip service or trying to spin it a positive way about this being a good thing. It actually is. It’s showing that these players are still competing and still giving and crap and are clearly frustrated.

Say what you will about the team’s compete level, but it is very difficult to bring your best game day-in and day-our and have any sort of confidence for an organization that basically gave up on this team mid-season when they announced their ‘scorched-earth’ rebuild plans. The players on this team are competing, they just have zero confidence right now in themselves, the coaches and the organization.

H/T SportsNet’s Chris Johnston, TSN

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