The Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t going to let any time tick down before challenging Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas on Monday night.
In the first meeting between the teams since Gudas injured Leafs captain Auston Matthews with a knee-on-knee hit on March 12, Toronto’s Max Domi dropped the gloves to fight Gudas immediately after the opening faceoff.
Domi fed Gudas multiple fists before both were handed fighting majors three seconds into the game. Department of Player Safety head George Parros was in attendance at the game to keep a close eye on proceedings.
The rough stuff continued all night as the two teams combined for 85 penalty minutes.
Later in the first period, Toronto’s Easton Cowan and Anaheim’s Pavel Mintyukov were given offsetting roughing minors after William Nylander interfered with Ducks goaltender Ville Husso.
In the second, the Maple Leafs’ Michael Pezzetta went after Gudas, shoving the Ducks captain to the ice and getting some extra shots in. Pezzetta was given a two-minute minor for roughing but was also given a game misconduct after he appeared to have an altercation with an official.
Domi was back in the middle of things shortly after, dropping the gloves with Mintyukov and getting a game misconduct for being an aggressor. Gudas was also in the fray some more, getting four minutes for roughing as Toronto’s Cowan and Jake McCabe each got roughing minors from the same scrum. McCabe was given a game misconduct for being an aggressor in that scrum.
Gudas remained in the game after serving his penalties but stayed on the Ducks bench without taking another shift.
Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz also appeared to be spoiling for a fight. As Cowan and Mintyukov went after each other near Husso’s net in the first, Stolarz skated nearly to centre ice before deciding not to go the full length of the ice. In the second, however, Stolarz did make contact with Husso as the two goalies were skating to their benches during a commercial break.
The violence slowed down in the third period as the teams traded leads. The Maple Leafs ultimately won 5-4 in overtime after a goal from John Tavares in the dying seconds of the extra frame.
Gudas decided to play on Monday after he suffered a lower-body injury last Thursday in Calgary, was spotted wearing a walking boot post-game, and missed Saturday’s critical divisional match in Edmonton.
“Stand behind my own mistakes,” Gudas said at Honda Center Monday morning. “I want to address it myself. That’s one of those games where I have to play.”
The Leafs were heavily criticized for not going after Gudas in the immediate aftermath of Matthews’ injury.
Gudas was suspended five games for the play.
Gudas’ knee-on-knee hit resulted in a Grade 3 MCL tear for Matthews that required surgery.
