When Nick Robertson flattened a Montreal Canadiens player in the Maple Leafs’ season opener — one of four hits he laid on the opposition — the crowd erupted in a deafening roar.

“They were cheering pretty loud and I thought, ‘Wow, they must have really liked that hit,’ ” Robertson said after the game. “But it was for the Blue Jays .’’

The 2-1 score for Toronto’s other team in action Wednesday had just flashed on the scoreboard, as the baseball team rollicked along to eliminate the New York Yankees in their American League division series. Many in the crowd stayed put after the Leafs dispatched Montreal 5-2 and a broadcast of the Jays game continued on the big screen.

But surely Craig Berube had noticed Robertson’s physical impact on the Leafs game, managing to square up the

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