Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Radko Gudas returns against Adam Foote’s Canucks tonight, and Vancouver gets a close look at one of the league’s most debated suspensions.
Anaheim gets its veteran defenceman back in Vancouver after a 5-game suspension tied to the March 12 knee-on-knee collision that ended Auston Matthews’ season.
From the Canucks’ side, that makes this matchup heavier than a normal late-season puck drop. Gudas is back in the lineup, but the reaction around the league hasn’t cooled much.
A lot of players and fans still see the ban as light compared to the damage from the play. That won’t disappear just because he’s eligible again.
Vancouver also knows Anaheim is still playing for something. The Ducks come in at 39-27-4, while the Canucks are 21-40-8.
So this is not just a return story for Anaheim. It’s a test for a Vancouver group trying to handle a hard, emotional game against a team that still has real standings pressure.
Canucks get the first crack at Gudas after the ban
Gudas didn’t duck responsibility for the result.
«I really hate the way it ended up, the point of contact,» he said.
He also made clear he never wanted to injure Matthews and said he reached out after the game. That explains the remorse, but it doesn’t erase the outcome.
From Foote’s bench, the message should be simple. Expect traffic, expect edge, and expect emotions to rise the second Gudas gets involved physically.
Joel Quenneville backed his player before the game and said there was nothing premeditated in the play. Anaheim’s focus is getting points, not revisiting the hearing.
For Vancouver, the opportunity is right there. Make Gudas defend, make him turn, and force him into quick decisions instead of letting him dictate the tone.
That’s what makes Tuesday night interesting at Rogers Arena. The Ducks get Gudas back, but the Canucks get first shot at making his return uncomfortable.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
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Radko Gudas returns in Vancouver after suspension for hit that ended Auston Matthews’ season
Did Radko Gudas deserve more than 5 games for the hit on Auston Matthews ?