Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly's caning of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig remains a hot topic in the victim's locker room because no one will soon forget the gesture.
Life is slowly returning to normal for the “Sens” trying to climb the rankings. Saturday's 5-3 win at the Canadian Tire Center should have drawn more attention, but Rielly's offense, frustrated by Greig firing a powerful slap shot in front of an empty net late in the game, remained the focus. Topic of discussion on Monday.
• Also read: Jack Hughes rediscovers his goal instincts
• See also: Jakob Pelletier hugs the gang head-on
Unfortunately for Ontario fans, last weekend's matchup was the last of the season involving the two teams. And unless there's a big surprise, there won't be a playoff bye. However, when the Leafs guard sees the Senators again, we should expect to see some sparks on the ice.
Until the announcement by the National Hockey League's Player Safety Department that the offending athlete would receive a suspension of five or more games, Greig's teammates behaved diplomatically in public.
“I know the league decides. As a group we stand behind him [Greig]. Of course, that’s all I want to say now,” commented Tim Stützle to the Sportsnet channel.
“There was a lot of action on Saturday and of course we wanted to compete to win. The identity of our rivals does not matter, nor does the number of fans of the opposing club in the stands. We always want to win but this gave us a bit more fire,” he added.
Despite their three straight wins, the Senators were ranked 15th in the East before hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the only team they are ahead of in their league.