In a series where Ottawa Senators winger Ridly Greig and Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz have both been accused of trading some serious cheap shots, it was almost comical on Friday when the NHL stepped in with swift justice for some harmless warm-up antics.
The league has fined the Senators $25,000 and fined Nick Cousins $2,083, both for unsportsmanlike conduct just before Game 3 on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted a grainy video of the “incident” on social media.
Here’s what NHL is looking at from last night. “Friend of Bieksa” Nick Cousins shoots puck at Stolarz. NHL not crazy about pre-game stuff…also clamped down on funny Scheifele/Hofer standoff in Blues/Jets series pic.twitter.com/ZF08AZwdO4
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 25, 2025
The clip shows Cousins either passing the puck toward Stolarz or, at worst, taking the lightest of shots toward him. Cousins and Stolarz, it’s worth noting, won a Stanley Cup together with the Florida Panthers last season.
When head coach Travis Green was asked on Friday by TSN’s Mark Masters about the so-called incident, he leaned into the nonsense with a deadpan response that got a big laugh from the media room.
“Well Mark, it’s an active investigation,” Green said. “I don’t know if I should be commenting.”
Green gave the “story” the exact amount of seriousness it deserved, sarcastically treating it like a major crime.
“I’m kidding. Yeah, I saw the video. Cousins and Stolarz have played together. I don’t know, yeah, he’s probably trying to either laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game, and it is what it is.”
After back-to-back overtime losses, Green’s levity struck just the right tone on Friday, a nice respite before the Senators try to climb out of a deep hole in this series.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
Senators Fall To Leafs Again 3-2 In Overtime Thursday, Now Trail Series 3-0The Ottawa Senators’ first playoff run in eight years has barely started, but they’re already on the brink of elimination following another 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
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