As the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Card heats up, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has made a controversial decision that could impact the Maple Leafs and their opponents. For the second consecutive game, the Maple Leafs will rely on an emergency backup goaltender. This time, however, it's not due to salary cap constraints; the NHL has actively blocked their attempt to call up a goalie. <h2>NHL Denies Maple Leafs' Goalie Callup</h2> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/1645540158161272832'> </a></blockquote></div> Tonight's game against the Florida Panthers has significant implications. While their previous match against the Montreal Canadiens carried little weight, a Panthers victory in regulation would secure a playoff spot for them and simultaneously end the season for either the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Islanders. With emergency goaltender Nick Chenard potentially between the pipes for the Leafs, the stakes are even higher. Given Ilya Samsonov's recent injury scare, there is cause for concern among the Leafs' faithful. Elliotte Friedman tried to explain the situation: <q>Okay, this is what I think it is: TOR could have called-up Woll instead of signing Knies, which makes it «an emergency of their own creation.» My bet is TOR considered signing Knies the priority, wanted to get him signed no matter what</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/1645544752509583371?s=46&t=NA6ywgK36T18ukkIGGNFdA'> </a></blockquote></div> It seems that Gary Bettman just couldn't resist getting involved in this high-stakes drama. As seen on Hockey Patrol - <a href='https://www.hockeypatrol.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/Gary-Bettman-Sabotages-the-Maple-Leafs' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Gary Bettman Sabotages the Maple Leafs</a>