The Toronto Maple Leafs finally broke their eight-game losing streak against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. However, the victory was overshadowed by a concerning incident involving their star, Auston Matthews.
In the second period, Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas delivered a controversial knee-on-knee hit to Matthews, leading to Gudas being ejected with a five-minute major penalty. The hit left Matthews sidelined, awaiting an MRI to assess the damage. Meanwhile, Gudas faces a likely suspension after his hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
Morgan Rielly, a stalwart on the Leafs' blue line, shouldered the blame for the team's lack of immediate response to the hit. “I didn’t have a good view of it just because the puck was going the other way,” Rielly explained.
“But it’s on me for not responding earlier to Gudas. Obviously, it’s a dirty hit.
I didn’t understand how bad he got him in the moment, but I take full responsibility for not being the first one in there or not being in there quicker to respond.”
Rielly continued, emphasizing the importance of team unity in such situations: “When your captain goes down like that on a dirty play, you have to respond as a group. But I also take responsibility for not being the first one in there after the hit.”
Despite the drama, Toronto secured a 6-4 win at Scotiabank Arena. Yet, the victory did little to change their standings, as they remain at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, trailing the second wildcard spot by 11 points.
Head coach Craig Berube echoed the sentiment of missed opportunities for immediate team support. “Obviously, we should have four guys in there doing something about it, but it didn’t happen,” Berube noted.
“I thought we responded in the third. A good response there.
But we all would have liked everyone to get in there right away.”
The incident marks another challenging moment in a turbulent 2025-26 season for the Leafs.