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Max Domi and head coach Craig Berube came in with intent as Radko Gudas and Joel Quenneville faced a Leafs team looking to avenge Auston Matthews.
This started instantly.
Domi went straight after Gudas on the opening shift and dropped him clean. No hesitation, just a message tied directly to Matthews.
Toronto came for payback.
And they made sure everyone in the building felt it early.
That edge hasn't faded one bit.
Every Leafs shift has had purpose. Every hit feels targeted. This isn't about rhythm or structure.
It's about response.
Domi doubled down later.
Midway through the second period, he dropped the gloves again, this time with Pavel Mintyukov, pushing the intensity even higher.
Two fights, same mission.
Game turns into full team response
Now it's spreading across both benches.
Jake McCabe stepped in and went after Gudas as well, keeping the spotlight locked on him shift after shift.
There's no letting up.
The penalty sheet keeps growing. Roughing, fighting, misconducts. It's turning into a grind with no space on the ice.
Michael Pezzetta picked up a 10-minute misconduct, another sign that control is slipping away.
And still, it keeps building.
There was even a moment between the goaltenders, as Anthony Stolarz gave Ville Husso a small bump while both were heading to their benches.
Nothing major, but it added to the overall tension.
That's where this game sits right now.
Anaheim leads 2-1 midway through the second, but the score feels secondary compared to everything happening around it.
All eyes remain on Gudas.
Every shift he takes brings another reaction from Toronto.
Because this isn't just about one play anymore.
This is a full team pushing back after losing Auston Matthews for the rest of the season.
And with half the game still left, there's no sign this is slowing down.
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Radko Gudas and Max Domi drop the gloves in intense fight
Radko Gudas and Max Domi drop the gloves in intense fight