The reaction to the suspension makes Habs fans seem a lot more reasonable than Leafs fans

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are two of the oldest rivals in the National Hockey League. This has led to bloodshed on the rink and countless fights between fans of opposing teams over the years.

Social media has done little to unite these two fan bases. In fact, with Maple Leafs fans constantly trying to antagonize Canadiens fans during the team's rebuild, the gap is likely to widen, and Habs fans can quickly count how long it's been since the 1967 comeback.

One thing we can all agree on is that the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have two of the biggest fan bases in hockey. The argument starts when someone tries to suggest the biggest also means the best. It's generally agreed that hockey fans in any city other than Toronto are the most impatient to fight and listen to Maple Leafs fans online.

Teams usually have to actually win something before they can get cocky and boastful about their accomplishments. Not so in Toronto. Maple Leafs fans are proud of their perfect regular season record in recent seasons and have forgotten the fact that they have only won a playoff series since 2004. That was 20 years ago now.

The last few controversial, suspension-worthy plays have shown that Canadiens fans are the more reasonable, calm and respectful of the two fan bases. This even extends to the locker room and behind the benches of both organizations.

Brendan Gallagher was recently suspended for elbowing New York Islanders guard Adam Pelech. It was a cheap shot from a player who had never been suspended before, but Canadiens fans all agreed the suspension was deserved, and the league had no doubts about the five-game ban that was eventually handed down.

Generally, a calm, reasonable reaction to a play that has no place in a hockey game. Gallagher knows this and he made a huge mistake. Everyone agreed that he should pay. Even his head coach, Martin St-Louis, did not defend the actions of the hard-working, veteran winger. He said he was just playing a tough game, but didn't want to comment on the hit without seeing a few replays first.

In Toronto, however….Morgan Rielly ran into Ridley Greig after the Ottawa Senators forward scored an empty net goal and head-checked the rookie shortly after the puck entered the net. It was one of the most glaring delays in hockey history, though Maple Leafs fans were quick to come to Rielly's defense, blaming everyone in the world for the ugly attack.

Again Grieg directed the puck into an empty net. After the play was over, Rielly Cross checked his head.

It's McCabe looking for the point just as Jake McCabe looks for the man he's defending in his own zone just before a goal.

Even former Maple Leafs players who work for the television network that broadcast Canadiens and Maple Leafs games weighed in.

Leafs coach? You know, it should even try to save the situation there:

Did the coach hold his player accountable for his actions? No, he vaguely referenced the league's unfairness to the Maple Leafs like a 12-year-old.

Remember, when the Canadian player crossed the line, players, coaches and even fans on Twitter agreed that he should be punished and deserved a suspension. When Rielly tries to rip a guy's head off long after the whistle and the game is actually over, coaches, players and fans rush to his defense as if he didn't do anything.

This is ridiculous. Again, Canadiens fans come with some dignity and a realistic outlook on things. Leafs fans, on the other hand, seem deluded as if this is our year.