A quick update from Tampa tonight before the opening faceoff against the Lightning:
A small group of media had the chance to catch up briefly before the game with Leafs winger Nikolai Kulemin, who has a big black eye but is otherwise fine to play after taking a punch from Hurricanes defenceman Tim Gleason in last night's game.
Kulemin's English remains a work in progress, so his answers are not all that in-depth, but you get a general sense of his feelings on the incident.
He said he was caught off guard when Gleason dropped his gloves, but that he had learned a valuable lesson.
In your mind, what happened last night?
"I don't know. I'm not going for a fight, I'm just protecting my teammates. I just came in not ready for a fight and I'll be ready next time."
He said you had hit him two or three times beforehand.
"He hit me, too, he cross checked me. I just play hard, I don't want to fight somebody just to fight."
Gleason said he's going to try to call you. Did you want to talk to him?
I haven't heard from him.
Did you think you were seriously hurt when you came off the ice?
"I not feel great like yesterday and I can't play after [the punch] but I feel better today and I going to play."
Was it a cheap shot?
"I don't want to comment on that."
Was there concern you might have a concussion?
"I don't know. You can ask doctors."
~
The only other Leafs player to speak before the game was centre Tim Brent, who like many of his teammates said he still hadn't seen a clear replay of what happened with Kulemin and Gleason.
He wasn't shocked to see his teammate back in the lineup so soon.
"Knowing how tough Kulie is and how much of a bulldog he really is, it's not that big of a surprise," Brent said. "He's a tough character and we're all happy that nothing too serious happened."
Leafs rookie James Reimer gets the start in goal tonight in what could be a big statement game for him as he tries to take Jonas Gustavsson's spot in the lineup.
Dwayne Roloson, who has had some excellent recent games against Toronto, will start for Tampa Bay.