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'Fit of rage' led to Erik Gudbranson's postgame threat toward Matt Martin

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 5: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs leaves his crease to join in a fight against Ryan Miller #30 of the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on November 5, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Leafs defeated the Canucks 6-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 5: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs leaves his crease to join in a fight against Ryan Miller #30 of the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on November 5, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Leafs defeated the Canucks 6-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night and there’s a lot of anticipation for this game after the last time these two sides met.

Remember that third period? A lot happened.

• Morgan Rielly’s hit on Jannik Hansen
• Nazem Kadri’s hit on Daniel Sedin
• Alex Burrows’ spear on Morgan Rielly
• Derek Dorsett losing it
• Ryan Miller, Troy Stecher and Matt Martin mixing it up, and Frederik Andersen teasing us with a goalie fight.

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The penalty sheet was a long one that evening, and the fireworks didn’t end there. As the teams went to their dressing rooms following the game, Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson had something to say as he walked by the assembled media, yelling out “Matt Martin’s dead. Everyone can hear that now. F—— dead.”

Now as the teams are set to face one another for the first time since that heated night, Gudbranson wanted to clarify that he didn’t really mean he was going to kill Martin. Really.

“That was kind of a spur of the moment,” Gudbranson said via Pro Hockey Talk. “I was walking to the dressing room. I was just frustrated. That was a tough night. Do I mean anything I said? Absolutely not. That’s outrageous. That’s just kind of a fit of rage. Unfortunately, it got blown up to that proportion.”

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The NHL’s ears obviously perked up once word of the postgame threat got out with Colin Campbell speaking to Canucks general manager Jim Benning about the matter. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, discipline czar Stephane Quintal will be at Rogers Arena for the game, which is like when your principal would sit in the back of the classroom to observe.

Will there be fireworks again? Maybe a fight early on to move past things, but both teams, especially Vancouver, should prefer focusing on taking the two points available.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!