Jake McCabe leads Leafs’ response in Ducks rematch after Radko Gudas hit
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Jake McCabe and Craig Berube already know what Monday means for the Toronto Maple Leafs. McCabe made that plain after the loss in St. Louis.
This isn't about a normal stop on a road trip. It's the first meeting with Anaheim since Radko Gudas took out Auston Matthews on March 12.
Gudas was suspended 5 games for the knee-on-knee hit, and Matthews was later ruled out for the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear.
That changed the edge around this matchup in a hurry.
Toronto is coming in with pressure on its bench after a flat 5-1 loss to the Blues. Berube didn't sugarcoat it and said only the goalie showed up.
That's why McCabe's short message landed. He wasn't selling a sideshow. He was putting the room on notice before puck drop in Anaheim.
Berube has already drawn the line for his group. He wants the Leafs to play hard and physical, but not cross into anything foolish.
Toronto's response matters because the first game after a captain goes down says plenty about the bench. It says even more after a loss where the Leafs were outshot 38-13.
McCabe is the Leaf built for this kind of night
McCabe can actually back up that tone.
There's more heat here because Gudas is dealing with a leg issue and was described as day-to-day.
So this game stops being just about two points.
It becomes a test of pushback, discipline, and whether Toronto is ready to answer for Matthews without putting itself in a bad spot.
McCabe didn't need a long speech to get that across. One line was enough, and now the Leafs have to make sure their game matches it in Anaheim.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 29|124 ANSWERS Jake McCabe leads Leafs’ response in Ducks rematch after Radko Gudas hit Will the Toronto Maple Leafs answer Radko Gudas the right way on Monday ? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 62.1 % |
| No | 47 | 37.9 % |
| List of polls | ||