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Robin Lehner goes berserk after being pulled (Video)

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 17: Robin Lehner #40 of the Buffalo Sabres is pulled for Anders Nilsson #31 during the second period of play against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on January 17, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
Robin Lehner of the Buffalo Sabres is pulled for Anders Nilsson during the second period of play against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on January 17, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Getty Images)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner was pulled in his Tuesday game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and didn’t seem too happy about the decision by coach Dan Bylsma.

After the Maple Leafs scored three straight goals in the second period to move ahead of the Sabres 3-2, Bylsma made the switch and the fiery Lehner appeared to yell at the bench as he headed off the ice. At that point Lehner had stopped 13 of 16 shots on goal and had just let in a goal by Auston Matthews at the 9:45 mark. The Maple Leafs ended up beating the Sabres 4-3.

“He should be upset with getting pulled,” Bylsma said according to Buffalo Hockey Beat. “That’s a part of Robin’s game, that emotion. I have no problem.”

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When Lehner got to the bench, he took off his mask and then slammed it on the ground. The Maple Leafs broadcast pointed out that shortly before Lehner was pulled he posed for a photo by a fan sitting next to the Sabres’ bench during a TV timeout.

It’s unclear if the photo with the fan led to Lehner getting yanked, but players posing for fans’ pictures in and around games is not new to the NHL anymore making such a decision by the coaching staff seem unlikely. In March of 2014, Jaromir Jagr stuck out his tongue during a fan’s selfie. In March of 2015, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price took a selfie with a fan during a stoppage. Ilya Bryzgalov took selfies with fans when he was backing up for the Minnesota Wild in a Sept. 2014 preseason game.

Overall, Lehner is known as one of the NHL’s more emotional netminders. Last season he called out then Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ben Scrivens for not fighting him in a game. Against the Columbus Blue Jackets, also last season, Lehner tried to fight defenseman Jack Johnson. At the minor league level, Lehner got into a fight when he was a member of the Binghamton Senators in 2012.

After Wednesday game, Lehner said he wasn’t yelling at any one person specifically on the Sabres bench.

“It’s frustrating for myself. Sometimes you make mistakes,” Lehner said. “I think I’ve been pretty good this year of letting it go and keep going. … I didn’t want to get out, but it’s the coach’s decision.”

Bylsma said he pulled Lehner in order to slow down the Maple Leafs.

“You just want to stop the momentum the Leafs have,” he said.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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