The Anaheim Ducks captain is not 100 per cent healthy, but he was adamant about accepting his penance for ending Auston Matthews’ season with a greasy knee-on-knee hit.

“Stand behind my own mistakes,” Gudas said at Honda Center Monday morning. “I want to address it myself. 

“That’s one of those games where I have to play.”

The code says, don’t stick out your knee and send an opponent to the operating table. 

The code also says, if you commit a dirty hit, you better be prepared to drop the gloves.

So even though Gudas suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury Thursday in Calgary, was spotted wearing a walking boot post-game, and missed Saturday’s critical divisional match in Edmonton, there he was, on the ice Monday in Anaheim.

A full participant at morning skate, Gudas spoke one-on-one at length with Joel Quenneville, informed his coach he was good to go, then was standing at his stall waiting to answer questions before answering the bell.

“It’s going to be an intense game. One of the reasons why I wanted to play was to address things,” said Gudas, who is preparing to be challenged to a fight. Preferably shortly after puck drop (10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet+)

“When it’s addressed early in the game, everybody can… I don’t want to say relax a little bit, but everybody knows that the thing is going to be addressed. So, I would assume something like that’s going to happen.”

Gudas, a repeat offender, was suspended five games for targeting Matthews. He reached out to the superstar afterward to express his remorse, saying he felt “terrible” for the point of contact and the injury.

In real time, the Maple Leafs did not go after Gudas for the hit, as you may have heard, and The Non-Response has become a talking point not only within the Leafs organization but leaguewide. 

“I got no comment on this,” Gudas said. “It’s very hard for them to react. They don’t know what happened.”

Equally debated has been the length of Gudas’s ban, deemed too light by many.

George Parros, chief of the NHL’s department of player safety, has stood by the punishment. Parros flew from St. Louis to Anaheim and plans to be in attendance for the game. It is our understanding the league has spoken with both clubs ahead of what could be a fiery affair.

“It’s hard to predict, but you anticipate a physical game, and both teams are probably going to be coming out playing hard,” Quenneville said. “Let’s be smart about it.”

Embarrassed they didn’t stick up for their captain 18 days ago, the Maple Leafs are vowing an impassioned performance Monday, on a night they could be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

“It’s a game that means a lot for our side, so, yeah, we’ll be fired up,” said William Nylander, who was on the ice when Gudas took out Matthews.

Gudas is no stranger to animosity or opponents wanting payback.

“He’s been around,” Quenneville said. “He knows how games like this can be played out, and his experience can help him.

“He pushes the envelope, and sometimes there’s some other things you got to answer to. And I think he knows that.”

No question a Leaf will challenge Gudas, but who will it be?

Max Domi? Morgan Rielly? Dakota Joshua? Or the recently recalled Michael Pezzetta?

Someone is going to respond, even if it feels late.

“These games are very hard fought. I think everybody’s going to be ready to battle,” Gudas said. 

“It’s going to have the most playoff-like feel as we can get, close to it. So, it’s going to be a good test for us. I know they’re going to be coming, so we have to be ready for them tonight.”