3 potential feuds highlight Canucks-Maple Leafs rematch

Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks sit in the bottom third of the league standings, but the two apparent rivals will be the center of attention Saturday night.

The contest will be the first meeting since their penalty-laced get-together Nov. 5, which saw 171 penalty minutes doled out in the Maple Leafs' victory. Get your popcorn.

NHL senior vice president of player safety Stephane Quintal will reportedly be on hand to ensure cooler heads prevail, but when the puck drops, he'll be hard-pressed to stop any issues from the stands.

Here are three particular matchups Quintal will likely be keeping an eye on.

Gudbranson-Martin

After Leafs enforcer Matt Martin picked rookie Troy Stecher as his sparring partner, Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson was caught declaring Martin a dead man. That didn't go over very well with the league.

In hockey circles, standard retribution involves dropping the gloves, which will likely be the outcome between the two heavyweights.

Kadri-Everybody

It's safe to assume Nazem Kadri will be welcomed to Rogers Arena with a series of boos.

Kadri was the focal point of the entire feud last month, following a blind-side hit on Canucks forward Daniel Sedin.

The hit looked like it was a headshot at first, and turned ugly after Sedin's helmet flew off before smacking his head on the ice. But the play didn't warrant a suspension in the eyes of the NHL, much to the chagrin of the Canucks.

Luckily for Kadri, drawing the ire of his opponents is something he's become rather accustomed to over the years.

Rielly-Burrows

Moments before Kadri hit Sedin, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly leveled Jannik Hansen with a heavy hit in the neutral zone, which didn't sit well with Vancouver forward Alex Burrows.

Burrows wanted to settle the issue with some good ol' fashioned fisticuffs, but not before a quick spear to Rielly's midsection.