This Week in the NHL: Will Gudas return to take on Maple Leafs?
With 32 teams, games every night and countless narratives emerging, the NHL season can make one’s head spin, and it’s easy to miss out on the weekly storylines. Not to worry; every Monday from October to April, I’ll map out the major events, games, plotlines and milestones on tap for the next seven days.
So what’s happening the week of March 30 – April 5?
March 30: Leafs face Ducks for first time since Matthews injury
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Anaheim Ducks, 10:00 p.m. ET
And here…we…go. Leafs captain and superstar Auston Matthews’ season ended violently March 12 when rugged Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas took Matthews out with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews has since undergone (successful) surgery to repair a torn MCL. Gudas earned a five-game suspension for the play. The Leafs took plenty of heat for failing to respond angrily in the moments after the hit – to the point Morgan Rielly publicly criticized himself for not reacting immediately – so all eyes will be trained on Toronto Monday. The one issue? Gudas was injured last week, but said he still wants to play against the Maple Leafs. After the pain of losing Matthews and the embarrassment the team faced over its perceived inability to stick up for its captain, we can expect the penalty box to get quite a workout. Gudas will almost certainly be challenged to drop the gloves – if he plays.
March 30: Evander Kane’s 1,000th NHL game
Vancouver Canucks @ Vegas Golden Knights, 10:00 p.m. ET
For all the ups and downs of Kane’s career, between the injuries, controversies on and off the ice and trades…it’s pretty impressive that he’s made it to 1,000 games. He was a fourth-overall pick in 2009 and could always play. He was one of the more effective power forwards in the NHL at his peak, and he has more than 300 goals to prove it. The Canucks have had little to celebrate this season as the NHL’s worst team, but they can toast their local veteran when they visit Sin City.
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PRESENTED BY STAKE
