Ridly Greig’s controversial empty-net goal in the Ottawa Senators’ victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs sparked a minor altercation and led to Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly receiving a major penalty and facing potential league discipline, reigniting the rivalry between the two teams.
Whenever rivals clash, expect some drama. Especially if the underdog throws in a dash of disrespect after an upset win. Oh, it’s on then.
With just over 5 seconds left in the third period, Ridly Greig sealed a 5-3 Ottawa Senators victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. How? With a slapshot from just feet away into an open net. Talk about bold.
Not surprisingly, Morgan Rielly, the closest Leaf on the scene, wasn’t having any of it. He went straight for Greig, sparking a bit of a scuffle between the teams.
Greig’s move definitely irked the Leafs. But, Rielly took the fall, getting slapped with a major penalty and game misconduct for a cross-check to Greig’s head. Ouch.
Adding insult to injury, Rielly’s now on the league’s radar. Fines? Suspension? Seems likely. Despite the clear violation, Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe stood by his player. He told the press post-game that his team had every right to react. In his words, Rielly did what he had to do. When pressed for justification, Keefe’s response to TSN’s Claire Hanna was a simple “It’s pretty apparent.”
On the flip side, Senators’ interim coach Jacques Martin saw things differently. According to him, no matter how Greig scored, Rielly’s response was out of line.
This win marked the Senators’ first season series victory over the Leafs since 2018-19. Though they won’t face off again this season, Saturday’s clash has reignited the Battle of Ontario. Things are heating up, folks.
