Nazem Kadri doesn't have a reasonable explanation as to how part of Joe Thornton's beard ended up in his hand following their scrap off the opening faceoff Thursday night.
"I ended up with a piece in my hand," Kadri told The Athletic's James Mirtle postgame. "I have no idea what happened. I'm a hockey player, not a barber."
As it turns out, Kadri appeared to snag Thornton's beard while attempting to grab the collar of his jersey - a standard fighting tactic.
While Thornton may have gotten the edge in their brief fight, Kadri and the Maple Leafs got the upper hand in the game, defeating the Sharks 3-2 in a shootout, with Kadri's second-period redirect goal proving to be integral.
