TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs practised at the University of British Columbia ahead of tomorrow's game against the Canucks. 

- Following Toronto's win over Vancouver on Nov. 5, Canucks defenceman Erik Gudbranson stormed off the ice shouting, "Matt Martin is dead! Everyone can hear, Matt Martin's dead!" Ahead of the rematch on Saturday, Martin was asked what he made of the threat. "I don't really worry about what's said, in that regard. We reacted in emotion in that game. I'm sure he was emotional after the game, I don't know. He made comments, I guess, that you heard, I didn't. It is what it is. I'm not going to get into much detail about it." Martin said he's heard similar threats on the ice a couple of times in his career. During the game last month, Martin angered the Canucks by going after Troy Stecher, a rookie who is significantly smaller than him. Did he realize who he was engaging with in that moment? "No, honestly, it was just an emotional thing and just got tied up with somebody and that's the way it went." Martin describes the game against Vancouver as the most emotional one of the season for the Leafs so far. "I would say both teams probably got caught up in the emotions," said Martin, who leads all NHL forwards in hits (95). "That's sports, that's hockey and things like that happen. Tomorrow it will be important to keep your emotions in check." Martin is responsible for four of the nine Leafs fights this season. 

- Is Nazem Kadri feeling a lot of love during this Western Canadian swing? "Ah, no, not a whole lot, no," the Leafs centre said with a laugh following Friday's practice. The team had a day off in Vancouver on Thursday so Kadri was asked if he tried to keep a low profile. "I tried to keep to myself a little bit," the 26-year-old said. So, was he wearing a hat and sunglasses? "The usual," he said with a grin, "the disguise." Once again, Kadri found himself in the centre of a huge media scrum talking about an opponent and a fan base that isn't too pleased with him. Does he have to be extra careful on the ice tomorrow? "I'm always prepared, obviously. I'm not the only guy out there. I have my teammates to help protect me. We'll all be in it together. Two points is much more important than any sort of revenge in this league and both teams are aware of that." Kadri has not changed his tune when it comes to his hit on Daniel Sedin, which sparked so much of the chaos on Nov. 5. "I just tried to be hard on him and finish my check and I'm glad the league saw it the same way." Although Kadri added, "I respect him a ton," and acknowledged that the Leafs would probably be very angry if someone blindsided one of their young star players like that.

- Has Vancouver native Morgan Rielly taken the temperature of his hometown over the last couple of days? "A little bit, yeah, yeah, a little bit," he said with a smile. "You definitely get the feeling that people are kind of looking forward to the game and rightfully so. We'll see what tomorrow has in store." Rielly noted he received quite a few messages from friends and family back home after the last Leafs-Canucks game went off the rails. The game featured his first career NHL fight. It came against Alexandre Burrows, who had speared him minutes earlier. Rielly had already drew the ire of the Canucks by levelling Jannik Hansen with a huge open-ice hit. The Canucks forward has been sidelined since that game with a fractured rib. Rielly downplayed the idea that he has become a villain in his hometown, but admitted that he doesn't mind the excitement around this rematch. "As an athlete I think you enjoy that kind of environment and the hype around the game," he said. "It makes it that much more fun, but, again, for the third time, we're just going out tomorrow to win the game and get the two points." As for being back home, Rielly said that will always be meaningful to him. "Absolutely, I love coming home," he said. "This will always be home for me, but, that being said, I love Toronto and that's become my new home."

- While the players did their darnedest to throw cold water on the idea that tomorrow's game could turn nasty, they did admit that emotional games seem to bring out the best in them. "I think it does," Kadri said. "I think we'll be ready. We don't mind playing on that big stage. We have a lot of guys in our dressing room who are mature enough for their age to be able to handle a game like Saturday." Toronto is 4-0-1 in games in which there has been a fight this season. And the Leafs came out strong in Tuesday's much-hyped rematch against the Oilers. Then they came out flat against Calgary one night later. "We got to start on time," head coach Mike Babcock said echoing a familiar refrain. "That's a huge priority. We should be well-rested, ready to go. We had a spirited game with Vancouver last time and they're always tough for us in this building." Although Babcock doesn't expect any carryover from the Nov. 5 slugfest. "What I've found, over the years, is that there's always a lot of talk and nothing happens," the coach said. "Just play the game. It's a new game, both teams can't be foolish discipline-wise just because of the power plays so you just get on with playing it."

- "Anyone seen Freddie?" Babcock asked with a smile at the start of his media session. Toronto's No. 1 goalie, who has been red hot of late (8-4-0, .931 save percentage in November), wasn't on the ice at practice even though the Leafs had a day off on Thursday and Frederik Andersen didn't play on Wednesday. "He's not feeling well so he stayed back at the hotel," Babcock said after leaving the media in suspense for a moment. Babcock expects Andersen will be good to go tomorrow. He's  7-1-3 with a .948 save percentage in his career against the Canucks. Goalie coach Steve Briere occupied the second net at practice. 

- During practice Martin Marincin was paired with Jake Gardiner while Connor Carrick skated with perennial scratch Frank Corrado. Will Marincin play tomorrow? "I haven't decided exactly, but I think so," Babcock said. The Slovakian has been a healthy scratch in six of the last seven games. 

Lines at Leafs practice:

Forwards 

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner
Hyman-Matthews-Brown
Soshnikov-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Nylander-Smith 
Leivo 

Defence 

Rielly-Zaitsev
Gardiner-Marincin
Hunwick-Polak
Corrado-Carrick 

Goalies

Enroth
Briere

* Power play units at Leafs practice:

Gardiner
Matthews-Kadri-Nylander 
Komarov 

Rielly
Bozak-Soshnikov-Marner
JVR