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The Toronto Maple Leafs say decision not to salute fans at centre ice after Lightning game was not meant to be sign of disrespect.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press

There was no discussion about the way the Maple Leafs played in a bounce-back win over the Tampa Bay Lightning or Saturday's game against the visiting Detroit Red Wings. Instead, captain Dion Phaneuf was left to try to quell a controversy, facing a barrage of questions about the team's decision to leave the ice Thursday night without saluting the home fans.

Phaneuf confirmed that, yes, the players had decided as a team before the game to abandon the tradition of skating to centre ice as a group to raise their sticks to those who haven't headed for the exits yet in a show of appreciation. The explanation? The team was looking to change things up after a string of lacklustre performances on home ice and the salute is now a thing of the past.

"We did a lot of things different throughout the day and that was something we decided to change," Phaneuf said. "We've got unbelievable fans and we know how much support we have. This, by no means, was any attack at our fans or anything personal. It was more about our team and changing up our routine."

For some, the decision to not salute was interpreted as the players' response to the recent trend of jerseys being tossed on the ice and the "Let's go Raptors" chant that started during Tuesday's 9-2 drubbing by the Nashville Predators. Phaneuf denied that, saying the team realizes it's a select few fans that have reacted in anger. He apologized for how the incident was interpreted.

"We did not want it to be like this," he said. "It was nothing against our fans. We respect our fans. We thank our fans for the great support that we have. It was not supposed to be taken the way that it has been."

Centre Tyler Bozak said the decision was made during a talk before the game.

"We said if we win let's move on and get ready for the next game and put it behind us," he said.

"We had just lost 9-2, so we were kind of going over everything in our minds about how we could change and just little things we could do differently," Bozak added.

This being the Leafs, the footage of the team enjoying the victory then heading directly off the ice was under forensic review Friday morning. Did Phil Kessel whisper something to Phaneuf in the midst of the celebration around goaltender Jonathan Bernier before the squad exited the ice? Why did defenceman Cody Franson appear to be heading to the centre faceoff circle, rejoining the team after realizing he was on his own?

"He said 'good game,'" Phaneuf said when asked about the Kessel exchange. And what about Franson's apparent confusion?

"I think it was more routine than anything," Phaneuf said. "We're used to doing that, but it [is] something that we talked about changing and we did that."

Asked how management responded to the incident, which is unlikely to fade away with the team playing nine of its next 11 games in Toronto, Phaneuf invoked the locker-room code.

"I'm not going to discuss what we talk about in here," he said.

Head coach Randy Carlyle was unaware of the controversy until Friday morning. He said he departs the bench so quickly after games that he wasn't even aware the team salutes fans after wins on home ice during the course of the season.

"The players made a decision that they were going to do that and you support your players in these situations," he said. "It kind of overshadows the success of the win we had last night and that's really what we're here to talk about."

Carlyle shrugged off suggestions that changing a public postgame ritual was a strange choice, saying players find different ways to change their luck when things aren't going well.

"It's like driving the same way to the rink," he said. "You develop these superstitions – I know I do. As a player, I used to dress with my left pad first all the time. Then I would put my left skate on first. It's stupid stuff, but that's players."

NOTES: Phil Kessel left practice early with a stiff neck after falling during a drill. Asked how he was after practice, Carlyle said "He's complaining." Early indications are he won't miss any time. … The team reassigned winger David Booth to the AHL Marlies on a conditioning stint Friday. Booth, who has yet to play a game after breaking his foot in the preseason, is expected to play two games with the Marlies and join the Leafs in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. … Joffrey Lupul practised with the team again on Friday as he works toward a return from a broken hand. Lupul said he hasn't ruled anything out, but also appears to be targeting the Pittsburgh game. … Detroit star Pavel Datsyuk is expected to miss tonight's game with a groin injury.

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