BY ARASH MADANI
sportsnet.ca

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Clarke MacArthur called out Tim Gleason and served warning that the next meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes may have ramifications following a fracas at the end of the first period Monday night which forced Maple Leafs winger Nikolai Kulemin to miss the remainder of the game with what the team is calling a facial injury.

"I was disgusted with that," MacArthur said, who along with Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski has made up Toronto's most productive line this season. "There are certain matchups out on the ice - I don't care what he says - that you know when you're in the right match-up. Kulemin has never been a guy to fight. Gleason does a lot. He knows better than that."

After the final whistle in the first period, a skirmish broke out in front of Carolina's bench. Gleason and Kulemin were involved in the scrum, but the pair got separated from the group. Then, the Hurricanes veteran punched the Leafs forward in the face. Kulemin crumpled to the ice, his night over, in Toronto's 6-4 loss to Carolina.

MacArthur suggested that Gleason violated one of hockey's codes, and clearly implied that the next meeting between the two clubs - Feb. 3 at Air Canada Centre - may have some consequences.

"We've got a couple more games here against them," MacArthur said. "We want to come out hard against these guys. We'll see what happens."

Gleason, who had already left the RBC Center before getting a chance to give his side of the story, was assessed a game misconduct, and Leafs head coach Ron Wilson did not believe the shot was a sucker punch. Kulemin was not made available for comment and no further injury update was given.

"Gleason obviously isn't that smart," MacArthur said. "It's pretty cheap. (Kulemin) didn't drop his gloves and he got suckered like that.

"Kulie's coming in there, just trying to stick up for his teammates. His gloves are on and Gleason just drops his gloves and gives him a couple."

Maple Leafs defenceman Tomas Kaberle was also unimpressed.

"That was cheap shot on Koolie there… It's tough when you don't expect it."

Toronto returns to Carolina on March 16.