The Toronto Maple Leafs took Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators in the Battle of Ontario on Sunday night, winning 6-2. The game was physical and chippy with 52 total penalty minutes, but one controversial moment between John Tavares and Senators forward Ridly Greig in the second period stood out.
Midway through the middle frame, with the Leafs already winning 3-1, Greig delivered a cross-check to Tavares that caught the 34-year-old in the side of the head. Tavares, who had scored earlier in the period and was on the receiving end of the play, dropped to the ice and was slow to get up.
The initial call on the ice was a five-minute major against Greig, but after video review, it was downgraded to a two-minute minor, prompting some mixed reactions.
“Just going to let the refs and the league handle it,” said Tavares after the game. “So, just going to compete hard and try to fight for every inch you can, and whatever way calls go, the game goes, you fight through it and continue to play.”
Head coach Craig Berube visibly disagreed with the call, gesturing to the officials the number five when deciding the outcome of the play.
“That's not my call. The referees and the league will look at things and make the call they make. We're not going to focus on that,” said Berube when asked about the incident. “We're going to focus on what we need to do for the next game.”
The bench boss then said, “Call the league!” when walking away from the podium after the game, signalling that he was not entirely satisfied with how the play was handled.
Still, it was Tavares and the Leafs who got the last laugh, as the forward assisted on a goal that occurred on the ensuing Greig penalty to make it a 4-1 game – his second point of the night.
The Irony
The incident brought back memories of a regular-season controversy involving the same player. Back in February 2024, Greig took a slapshot into an empty Leafs net with 5.1 seconds left. Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly responded by cross-checking Greig in the face – a play that earned Rielly a five-game suspension. That context wasn’t lost in Leafs Nation, and comparisons have quickly been drawn.
The debate now shifts to whether Greig's cross-check on Tavares, which made clear contact with the head, should have warranted more than a two-minute minor.
Greig remained in the controversy mix in the third period when he collided with Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, losing his footing heading towards the Toronto net.
“I’m fine, Stolarz reassured post-game. “He just kind of came in and caught me in a little awkward spot. I think my knee hit the post there, but yeah, it was something that just happened; he blew a tire. It is what it is, and I felt fine and was able to finish the game.”
“I thought they made some attempts at our goalie and sliding into him, and things like that. But that's not for us to worry about. We've got to focus on playing. We've got to focus on ourselves and what we need to do. The league will look after that stuff,” added Berube.
'He Made Big Saves': How Anthony Stolarz Won Game 1 Of The Goalie Battle Against Senators' Linus Ullmark
Anthony Stolarz showed up and showed out against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of the Battle of Ontario, which the Toronto Maple Leafs won commandingly, 6-2.
Game 2 is set to take place on Tuesday night in Toronto, and with this series opener, it’s clear the Battle of Ontario matchup will be intense as the blood continues to boil.
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