As the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] and Anaheim Ducks lined up for the opening faceoff on Monday night, Radko Gudas and Max Domi stared each other down [https://x.com/spittinchiclets/status/2038801248355307992?s=20], preparing for what was to come next. Almost three weeks earlier, it was Gudas who kneed Maple Leafs captain [https://x.com/GinoHard_/status/2032253684092977640?s=20] Auston Matthews, ultimately ending his season. Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear, which he had successful surgery to repair [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-sounds-like-surgery-could-be-part-of-auston-matthews-recovery-from-grade-3-mcl-tear] on Mar. 19. In the moments after Gudas' knee on Mar. 12, Matthews' teammates didn't do much to stand up for their leader. Instead of having a flurry of Maple Leafs approach Gudas, he skated to the penalty box unscathed. Toronto ended up standing up for Matthews in the period following, fighting and clawing their way back to win the game 6-4. But once the matchup ended, the Maple Leafs vowed [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-look-to-respond-after-auston-matthews-incident-prepare-for-ducks-with-or-without-radko-gudas] there'd be a stronger response next time the two teams faced off. "We're certainly not happy about it," Domi said two days after [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZW9lcH3PHw] the Gudas knee on Matthews. "We play them in a couple of weeks." And sure enough, when the Maple Leafs rolled into Anaheim, they certainly sent the message. Domi especially. After staring each other down at the opening faceoff on Monday, Domi and Gudas immediately dropped the gloves. Domi threw several punches while Gudas just hung on for dear life, not responding at all to Domi's strikes. "Yeah, it was awesome to see," William Nylander told reporters [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwfWCpMtqv0] after his four-point night in Toronto's overtime win. "He did a great job." The big question after the fight was: how did Gudas know it was Domi who was fighting him? And, too, how did Domi know it was his fight to take? "There were conversations over the last couple days," said Morgan Rielly [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtd0p15e--s&pp=0gcJCdkKAYcqIYzv], who wouldn't get into what those talks were like. Domi didn't fight just once, though. He dropped his gloves again in the second period against Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov. Unlike Gudas, Mintyukov threw punches at Domi, but once again, the Maple Leaf skated away, winning the fight. Domi finished the game [https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tor-vs-ana/2026/03/30/2025021176/summary] with two fights, 20 minutes in penalties, and just 7:06 of ice time in the game, the second-least on the Maple Leafs on Monday night, only behind Michael Pezzetta's 3:06. "I loved [Domi's response]. Needed it, and he did it twice," said Matthew Knies [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-aRWlmHxC8]. "I think he's got a lot of heart, and, yeah, I mean, he gets his team going. So that was, yeah, it was a little fun to watch." Much like their game against Anaheim almost three weeks ago, the Maple Leafs came back from a 3-1 deficit, scoring three unanswered goals and an overtime winner to tally their 32nd win of the season. Scott Laughton Reflects On Maple Leafs Tenure, ‘A Little Bit’ Surprised In Club’s Lack Of Immediate Response To Auston Matthews Hit [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7c0e68bc-b54b-4bf8-bb79-66802f2d83a3.png] Scott Laughton Reflects On Maple Leafs Tenure, ‘A Little Bit’ Surprised In Club’s Lack Of Immediate Response To Auston Matthews Hit In a 1-on-1 conversation with The Hockey News on Sunday, Scott Laughton reflects on his trade to the Los Angeles Kings, his former team's lack of response to the hit on their captain, the pressure of playing in Toronto and the possibility of re-joining the Leafs down the road. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/scott-laughton-reflects-on-maple-leafs-tenure-a-little-bit-surprised-in-club-s-lack-of-immediate-response-to-auston-matthews-hit] And while Domi didn't register a point, his fingerprints are all over this game with how much he stood up for the injured Matthews and the rest of his Toronto teammates. "He's a character human, and he's fearless," Rielly said. "That's who he is."
