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Fighting is up during these unique NHL playoffs: ‘Guys are full of energy, and there’s guys walking the line a little bit more’

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season was hanging by a thread from one of Jason Spezza’s gloves when he dropped them to the ice to fight Dean Kukan.

"I just tried to spark the guys, just trying to show some desperation and have some push-back," Spezza said after Toronto's emotional comeback victory against Columbus he played a substantial role in. "Without the crowd you don't have that, so just trying to create some emotion."

Spezza versus Kukan was fight No. 8 in the first week of the NHL playoffs, almost triple the total from the entire 2019 postseason combined.