Maple Leafs enforcer drops the gloves after Erik Gudbranson delivers dirty hit
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Zack MacEwen fought Erik Gudbranson in the second period Tuesday after a hit on Teddy Blueger, as the Maple Leafs led the Blue Jackets 5-1 after two.
Zack MacEwen did not wait around Tuesday night in Columbus.
After a hit on Teddy Blueger that the Maple Leafs did not appreciate, MacEwen went at Erik Gudbranson, and the two dropped the gloves late in the second period.
The game log shows Gudbranson was credited with a hit just seconds before the fight began.
MacEwen picked up five minutes for fighting, plus a misconduct and an instigator penalty that Vinni Lettieri served.
Gudbranson received five for fighting.
MacEwen finished with 17 penalty minutes in just over five minutes of ice time.
Why this fight matters for Toronto
This is exactly the job Toronto brought MacEwen in to do.
He signed a two-year contract worth $1.75 million on July 1, and he is known more for sticking up for teammates than for filling the net.
He has been skating on the fourth line with Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, and standing up for a linemate is the kind of move that earns trust.
Blueger arrived this summer as part of the Leafs' depth overhaul, so moments like this can help a new group bond quickly.
It has been a long road back for MacEwen.
He tore his ACL in mid-November while with the New Jersey Devils, then signed with Toronto in July while still recovering.
Now he is throwing punches for a teammate in October, which says plenty about where he is physically.
A strong night in Columbus
The fight came with Toronto already in control.
The Leafs led 5-1 after two periods, getting goals from Kirill Marchenko, Jack Roslovic, Easton Cowan, Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Marchenko was back in Columbus after the offseason trade that sent him to Toronto.
That kind of response is hard not to love, and it adds some bite to a skill-heavy roster.
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