Latest news with #RidlyGreig
National Post
05-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
LASIK trolling referees, umpires with free eye surgery offer - and some are taking it
It's a refrain that probably is as old as sports themselves. Article content Article content 'How did you miss that call? Are you blind!?' Article content Now, one company is doing its best to make sure that almost any official overseeing a professional sport in North America won't have an excuse when it comes to eye sight. Laser eye-surgery company is offering free procedures to any ref, official or umpire in eight professional sports in an effort to help eliminate awful calls that can ruin the fun for fans and players alike. Article content Article content 'Applicants must be referees or officials actively involved in officiating games within the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, NWSL or USNT,' the company's website reads. Article content 'Candidates should be in good overall health and free from any medical conditions that may pose risks or contraindications for LASIK surgery. Referees and officials must undergo a comprehensive LASIK examination conducted by doctors to assess their ocular health and suitability for the procedure.' Article content The offer appears to be working. According to Front Office Sports, at least 10 refs or officials have taken up the company and underwent LASIK for free (or a similar surgery called PRK). According to the outlet, such a procedure normally would cost around US$5,000 for both eyes. Article content The site also noted that LASIK declined to reveal which league(s) the officials worked in or if they had been called out by the site's social media account. Article content Last month, during the Battle of Ontario between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, LASIK's X account shared a clip in which Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz pummeled Ridly Greig and no penalty was called. Article content
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
GOAL: Claude Giroux opens scoring
Follow live coverage of tonight's Game 3 as the Battle of Ontario shifts to Ottawa with the Leafs up 2-0 on the Senators The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators are going to overtime of Game 3 in their first-round playoff series. Watch: ESPN2 (U.S.) | Sportsnet/CBC (Canada) ESPN2 (U.S.) | Sportsnet/CBC (Canada) Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms P2 18:22 - Senators 1, Maple Leafs 0 Ridly Greig goads William Nylander into taking an offensive zone tripping penalty, setting a pick by stepping in front of the Senators forward to give Ottawa a five-on-three power play. The Senators promptly score with Claude Giroux beating a screened Anthony Stolarz. Huge goal. P2 19:45 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 William Nylander takes a tripping penalty. It's a five-on-three penalty for the Ottawa Senators. P2 20:00 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 The Maple Leafs and Senators begin the second period of Game 3. Four-on-four action and then an Ottawa powerplay. Not too long now until the second period of tonight's Game 3. There will be four-on-four hockey to start the period. Getty Images Dom M.: McMann with 7 hits that period is great to see. Like that line tonight. McMann with 7 hits that period is great to see. Like that line tonight. John M.: Bad penalty by Knies. Bad penalty by Knies. Brent S.: Love it when Willy gets physical. Love it when Willy gets physical. Alex B.: Playoff Nylander is an animal. Getty Images Shots: Hits: Faceoffs won: Blocked shots: Leafs forward Matthew Knies took a penalty at 20:00 of the first period for cross-checking Ridly Greig deep in the offensive zone. Earlier this series, Knies told reporters "it is definitely annoying" watching Greig's on-ice antics. Score another one for the Senators irritant. Read more below about Greig becoming the "villain" of this series. GO FURTHER 'Little rat': How Senators' quiet pest Ridly Greig became a hockey villain P1 0:00 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 After one period, the Maple Leafs and Senators are 0-0. At the end of the period, Matthew Knies takes a cross-checking penalty. There will be four-on-four hockey to start the second period. P1 1:18 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 The Maple Leafs head to the powerplay after the Brady Tkachuk penalty. Toronto has four PP goals this series. P1 3:51 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Got to admit, I was a little bit surprised William Nylander elected to unleash a slap shot rather than going towards the net on that breakaway chance. Linus Ullmark easily makes the save. Nylander smiles afterward. Still 0-0 under four to play in the first period. P1 4:01 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Bobby McMann can't quite tip the puck into the back of the net. Linus Ullmark makes the save. The third line looks a lot more energetic and active tonight. P1 5:28 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Five minutes left in the first period. Still a 0-0 game. Mitch Marner is showing defensive prowess in his own zone, checking Shane Pinto along the boards, which results in a turnover. The Leafs defensive play continues to shine. P1 7:24 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 It's Linus Ullmark's turn to make a big save. John Tavares in the high slot fires a wrist shot that Ullmark gobbles up. Still a 0-0 game. Both goalies playing well so far. Tim Stützle just had one of the best looks the Senators have created all series, coming off the bench and taking a Drake Batherson pass while skating into the slot. However, Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz came out to the top of his crease to swallow up the Stützle shot. Stolarz is looming large over this series so far. P1 8:50 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 The best chance of the game belongs to Tim Stützle. He comes through the slot and fires a wrist shot that's denied by Anthony Stolarz. The Maple Leafs goalie is standing tall. It's still a 0-0 game. P1 10:31 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Dylan Cozens fires a wrist shot that's stopped by Anthony Stolarz. It's 0-0 at the first TV timeout of the game. Take a breather, hockey fans. A fun start to Game 3 with end-to-end action. P1 13:02 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 John Tavares steps back onto the ice. Toronto successfully kills the Ottawa powerplay. Not many Grade A chances for the Senators on that powerplay opportunity. P1 14:11 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Mitch Marner's effective penalty killing is on display again. He deflects a Brady Tkachuk pass out of the zone, showcasing his active stick. P1 15:04 - Maple Leafs 0, Senators 0 Brady Tkachuk draws the penalty on four-on-four, courtesy of John Tavares. It's now four-on-three for 43 seconds. Big opportunity for Ottawa.
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Leafs avoid typical playoff struggles in Game 1
After the Toronto Maple Leafs won Game 2 in OT, the series moves to Ottawa for Game 3 on Thursday Imagn Images Had you granted the Toronto Maple Leafs the ability to script their own opening scene to the Battle of Ontario, even they may not have come up with a night like Sunday that soothed so many old wounds. For one pitch-perfect game, at least, the long-suffering denizens of Leafs Nation were treated to something that almost felt like playoff calm. The stars peppered the scoresheet. The power play came roaring out of the gates against an undisciplined opponent. The best goaltender stood in the Toronto crease. And the Leafs comfortably won a series opener for just the third time in 10 tries during the Core Four era. For 60 refreshing minutes, the team that's basically become a playoff punch line gave its loyal following a reason to believe. This was entirely different than what came before. GO FURTHER Maple Leafs open Battle of Ontario with intriguing lack of past playoff woes Imagn Images Historically, teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven playoff series in the NHL go on to win the series 68 percent of the time. That number jumps up to 86 percent for teams that go up 2-0 in best-of-seven series. It's been 23 years since the last time the Maple Leafs led a playoff series 2-0, dating back to the first round of the 2002 playoffs against the Islanders. Imagn Images The Senators are 3-11 in playoff series all-time when losing Game 1. The last time Ottawa won a series after losing the first game was during the team's run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, when it lost Game 1 to Boston in the first round before winning the series in six games. As for the Maple Leafs, they actually lost the last series they started with a Game 1 win. That came in a seven-game series against the Lightning in the first round in 2022. The last time Toronto won Game 1 and then went on to win the series was in the first round in 2002 against the Islanders. Getty Images Ridly Greig was a popular topic of conversation inside the Leafs dressing room between Games 1 and 2. His slide into Anthony Stolarz late in Sunday's series opener got the players' attention, as did his penalized cross-check to John Tavares' head and neck area. Yesterday, Matthew Knies spoke out about Greig: "It's definitely annoying. I think we're going to play hard on him and not make it easy for him the rest of the way." Getty Images Despite the protestations of Toronto coach Craig Berube, Ridly Greig has not faced any supplemental discipline after delivering a high cross-check to John Tavares during Game 1. Sunday's game produced 52 minutes in penalties, but did not include any infractions the NHL's department of player safety believed rose to the level of a fine or suspension. Greig was initially assessed a five-minute cross-checking major penalty after getting his stick up and striking Tavares in the neck or head area as the Leafs player finished a hit on him early in the second period. Following a video review, the referees reduced Greig's penalty to a two-minute cross-checking minor. Berube held up five fingers on the bench during the penalty review, seemingly lobbying for Greig's cross-checking infraction to be a five-minute penalty. He later yelled, 'Call the league!' to reporters as he walked off the post-game podium after being asked about the sequence. Ironically, Greig's father Mark skated in five playoff games alongside Berube with the Flyers in 1999 and 2000. GO FURTHER Senators' Ridly Greig won't face suspension for cross-check: Source Leafs coach Craig Berube on the Battle of Ontario: 'There's some hatred there, for sure.' Getty Images They don't call it the Battle of Ontario for nothing. Things boiled over in the third period of Game 1 as the final seven minutes saw 12 roughing penalties and a whopping 42 penalty minutes handed out. Imagn Images While we're looking at the stars of the series: One box the Leafs don't always check, but did in Game 1? Their stars showed up. Getting multi-point nights from Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander is exactly what the Leafs needed. Auston Matthews' excellent outlet pass from deep in his own zone on Marner's goal deserves some love, too. Add it up and the Leafs have the offensive weapons the Senators don't. Even if you make the argument that the two teams' blue lines are similarly matched (though that felt up for debate in Game 1), there's little doubt who has the star power. That star power has sometimes failed to rise to the moment for the Leafs. But Rielly's goal was the icing on the cake. The Senators had no answer for the Leafs' stars on Sunday. All signs point to the Leafs dressing the following lineup in Game 2: Knies — Matthews — Marner Holmberg — Tavares — Nylander McMann — Domi — Robertson Lorentz — Laughton — Järnkrok McCabe — Tanev Rielly — Carlo Benoit — Ekman-Larsson Stolarz starting in goal Imagn Images Brady Tkachuk waited a long time to play under the playoff spotlight. But those who've anticipated his playoff debut were left wanting more. The forward got shots on net and played physically at times, but didn't pop off at the level we expected him to be at. Tim Stützle outhit Tkachuk, even delivering the first big hit of the game. Tkachuk had a prime opportunity to quiet the crowd with a breakaway opportunity in the second — as fans rained down chants of 'Brady sucks!' throughout the contest — but couldn't convert. It would've tied the game at two, but the Leafs eventually pulled away thanks to their special teams. One big thing Brady has said learned watching his brother Matthew in the playoffs was the importance of moving on from one game to the next. He'll look to wash away a losing Game 1 effort. The Senators are without forward Ridly Greig and defenceman Nick Jensen at the morning skate. Fabian Zetterlund has been bumped up to Greig's spot on the Shane Pinto line, with Nick Cousins coming into the fourth line. Travis Hamonic is in Jensen's usual spot alongside Thomas Chabot. Imagn Images If the Senators want a chance at upsetting the Leafs in the first round, Linus Ullmark will have to be the best goaltender in this series and erase any doubts stemming from previous playoff performances. Sunday's series opener proved to be one to forget. Ullmark allowed six goals on 24 shots in the loss. The Senators' defence and penalty killing played a role in those goals, but Ullmark failed to come up big in contrast to Toronto's Anthony Stolarz. This game will only add to a shaky postseason record for the Sens' No. 1 netminder. Ullmark is now 3-7 all-time in playoff games dating back to his playoff debut three years ago with the Boston Bruins, with a save percentage below .900. He has bounced back from regular-season struggles before. But the Senators need him to snap back to form immediately. Relying on Anton Forsberg or Leevi Merilainen would be rolls of the dice at this stage of the season. Stolarz, by comparison, looked like the goalie who finished the regular season with a remarkable .926 save percentage. Though he bobbled a few shots from distance with his glove, Stolarz still moved well and commanded his net. He stopped 31 shots. That kind of composure could end up being another difference, not just between the Leafs and the Senators but between this Leafs team and past iterations. Winning the goaltending battle isn't something the Leafs do often in playoff series. So far, so good this time around. Referees Gord Dwyer and Patrick Lambert have been assigned Game 2 of the Leafs-Senators series. It is the first game either official has worked during these Stanley Cup playoffs. Imagn Images Total Maple Leafs power play goals through seven playoff games last year: one. Total Leafs power play goals through two periods against the Senators in Game 1: two. For all the concern about how the Senators might draw plenty of penalties, they ended up spending an unnecessarily large amount of time in the box. And the Leafs made them pay. Their puck movement with the man advantage was especially creative and swift. When they needed to be, the Leafs looked patient with the puck on the power play. John Tavares and William Nylander each converted with their first goals of the series. The Senators ended the regular season with the 19th-best penalty kill and needed to be disciplined entering the series against a potent power play. A Tim Stützle second-period infraction kickstarted a flurry of minor penalties, including a Ridly Greig cross-check that was downgraded from five minutes to two. Fans can debate the validity of those penalties all day, and they may have a point. But the Sens clearly weren't prepared for the Leafs' quick strikes. A third-period power-play goal by Matthew Knies was the final nail in the coffin. Since Jan. 1, only the Vegas Golden Knights have had a better power play than the Leafs. Game 1 was a continuation of that effectiveness, highlighted by the aforementioned Knies goal and how quickly it came. Remember, this is a Leafs team that has struggled on the power play in the playoffs. It's literally been the difference between a series win and loss for this core at times. But against the Senators, the Leafs' punchy power play could be a sign of good things to come. Imagn Images The Senators were rendered mostly ineffective in high-danger areas. The Sens outshot the Leafs 13-5 in the first period, but only mustered one high-danger chance, according to Natural Stat Trick. Ottawa ended the game with 11, but it still wasn't a strong suit for the visitors. The Leafs' defence kept them along the perimeter and wouldn't let them trouble Anthony Stolarz until Drake Batherson scored his team's first goal of the game with just under four minutes remaining in the first. After that, the Sens continued to struggle with penetrating the middle of the ice. Brady Tkachuk is considered an X-factor in this series because of his ability to create havoc in the corners and in front of the net. Through the opening 20 minutes, Tkachuk had three shots on net — two from the blue line and one from the face-off circle. That's not sufficient for a Senators team that has struggled with generating goals from up close. They ended the regular season with the 25th-best high-danger goals for rate. Imagn Images For all that the Leafs can be accused of not always starting on time and not bringing their best in the opening game of the playoffs, they did nearly everything right off the hop. Up and down the lineup, they checked hard. They put their bodies in front of Senators shots. They played with energy and got traffic in front of Linus Ullmark. And crucially, they made the most of their opportunities, scoring twice on four shots. Oliver Ekman-Larsson didn't look like a defenceman labouring through any lingering injuries with his series-opening goal. And Mitch Marner didn't look like a player with the weight of the world on his shoulders with his electric breakaway goal. With how heavily favoured the Leafs were coming into this series, it remained a possibility that the internal pressure would lead to some tightened grips on the Leafs' sticks. That wasn't the case. The Leafs were all over the Senators from the hop. And they didn't let up, either. Imagn Images A generation after it began, the Battle of Ontario reignited in Game 1 between the Maple Leafs and Senators. And just as it went back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Leafs got the better of the Senators. The Leafs' dominant 6-2 win marked just the third time this Leafs core has won a series opener in 10 tries. And that's fitting: this team looked quite different from recent iterations come playoff time. They stifled the Senators, whose lack of playoff experience showed up in taking needless penalties. Of course, there's plenty of hockey left in this matchup. But if Game 1 is any indication, this has the potential to be a short one. Getty Images Game 1: Maple Leafs won 6-2 Maple Leafs won 6-2 Game 2: Tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Toronto Tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Toronto Game 3: Thursday at 7 p.m. in Ottawa Thursday at 7 p.m. in Ottawa Game 4: Saturday at 7 p.m. in Ottawa Saturday at 7 p.m. in Ottawa Game 5: Tuesday Apr. 29 in Toronto (if necessary) Tuesday Apr. 29 in Toronto (if necessary) Game 6: Thursday May 1 in Ottawa (if necessary) Thursday May 1 in Ottawa (if necessary) Game 7: Saturday May 3 in Toronto (if necessary) All times ET Imagn Images Will the Maple Leafs keep rolling tonight, or will the Senators find a way to even the series? How far can the winner of this series go in the playoffs? Send us your answers to these questions, or any thoughts you have, or any questions of your own, or just say hello! You can email us at live@ or, if you're a subscriber to The Athletic , you can also join the discussion page for this game here. We'll share some of your comments in this blog so get typing!
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Home-ice advantage seems to be a real thing so far in the NHL playoffs
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) and Minnesota Wild center Gustav Nyquist (41) fall to the ice during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker) St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery talks to media at a post NHL round one playoff game press conference in Winnipeg on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) Florida Panthers players celebrate after defeating the against the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) and Minnesota Wild center Gustav Nyquist (41) fall to the ice during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker) St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery talks to media at a post NHL round one playoff game press conference in Winnipeg on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) Florida Panthers players celebrate after defeating the against the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Home-ice advantage hasn't really existed over the past couple of years in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In 2023 and 2024, visiting teams won more games than the home teams did. That's not the case so far in 2025. Advertisement Entering Wednesday, home teams were 10-3 in this postseason. And the teams at home on Thursday in the NHL — Tampa Bay, Ottawa, St. Louis and Minnesota — are surely hoping that trend continues. The Senators are down 2-0 to Toronto, the Blues are down 2-0 to Winnipeg, the Lightning are down 1-0 to Florida and the Wild can take a 2-1 lead in their series over Vegas if they successfully protect home ice on Thursday. It's not must-win time for any of them, but there's certainly some urgency. 'I know it's been a long time coming for Sens fans,' Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk said, looking ahead to what will be the first home playoff game for the Senators since May 23, 2017. 'We're going to really need them and I'm looking forward to getting out there in Game 3 in front of our fans.' St. Louis had chances; it led Game 1 in the third period and went into the third period of Game 2 tied. The Blues hope being at home provides the little extra boost that wasn't there for Games 1 and 2 in Winnipeg. Advertisement 'We're going to have the last line change now,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'We're going to go home. We're going to be in front of our frenzied crowd. And we're going to have an opportunity to hold serve at home.' The Lightning are trying to avoid dropping Games 1 and 2 of a series at home for the first time since Round 1 in 2019, when they were the top overall seed but wound up getting swept by Columbus — and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who now stars for Florida. 'The bottom line is we lost,' Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said after Game 1. 'Whether you lose 6-2 or you lose 1-0 in overtime, we lost the game. Turn the page and move on.' Minnesota can take a 2-1 series lead, after a 5-2 win in Game 2 at Vegas. The NHL said when a best-of-seven playoff series has been tied 1-1, 66% of the Game 3 winners have eventually won the series. Advertisement Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 6:30 p.m. EDT (TBS, truTV, Max) Series: Panthers, 1-0. Florida got Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, one assist) back for Game 1, a 6-2 road win on Tuesday that gave the Panthers the early upper hand in the series. Don't tell Panthers coach Paul Maurice that it'll mean much going into Game 2. 'Don't mean to be a downer here, but not a huge believer in momentum,' Really not. Puck drops. That's your opportunity to change momentum and it's going to happen at the opening face-off. Both teams will look at the game and find things they can do better." Advertisement Tampa Bay did a lot of things right in Game 1, particularly hold Florida to 16 shots. Problem was, only 10 of them got stopped. Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN2) Series: Maple Leafs, 2-0. Toronto is in total control of the Battle of Ontario. This is the 11th time — first since 2002 — that the Maple Leafs grabbed a 2-0 series lead by winning Games 1 and 2 on home ice. In the previous 10 instances, Toronto went on to win the series. And there's this: Ottawa has never won a series when trailing 2-0. It has happened nine previous times, the Senators lost all nine of those matchups. Advertisement To their credit, the Senators are not panicking. 'We've got to play a little better next game,' coach Travis Green said. Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 9 p.m. EDT (TBS, truTV, Max) Series: Tied, 1-1. If the Wild's top line has been dominant through the first two games of this series, the opposite is true for the Golden Knights. The line of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone has not registered a point. Eichel didn't even have a shot on goal in Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the Wild. He had just two in the opener, a 4-2 Vegas victory. 'They're elite, world-class players and they've got to get going,' Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. 'We've got to help them. We're trying to help them.' Advertisement Cassidy believes they could still make a strong impact. So does Minnesota. 'Their top line, frustrated a little bit, but they're special players,' Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. 'They're going to find ways. ... We've got to respect them, but not too much, and play the way we've been playing.' Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2) Series: Jets, 2-0. St. Louis has successfully come back from a 2-0 series deficit in a best-of-seven once before — 1972 against Minnesota. So, it is possible. The Blues have to be encouraged that Games 1 and 2 were close. But finding a way to beat the Jets four times in five games will be daunting. And Winnipeg is vowing to keep a simple, effective approach going into Game 3. Advertisement 'It's just about beating the man across from you, competing every single shift,' Jets forward Kyle Connor said. A potential boost for the Jets: Gabriel Vilardi will be with the team in St. Louis. Vilardi missed the final 11 games of the regular season with an upper-body injury; he had 27 goals for Winnipeg this season. ___ AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Information from The Canadian Press was also utilized. ___ AP NHL:
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Anthony Stolarz brutal attack on Ridly Greig exposes NHL's double standard
Anthony Stolarz's brutal attack on Ridly Greig exposes NHL's inconsistent goalie protection rules (Image via: Getty Images) The rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators has always been intense, but Anthony Stolarz may have just taken it to a whole new level and not in a good way. During a heated exchange, the Maple Leafs goalie shockingly lashed out at Senators forward Ridly Greig in a moment that's now fueling controversy across the NHL . The incident has not only gone viral but reignited a fiery debate about goalie privilege and inconsistent officiating in the league. Stolarz-Greig incident breaks the internet Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz Picks Puck Up With Bare Hands To Deny Late Red Wings Chance In what's already being called one of the wildest moments of the NHL season, Stolarz delivered multiple aggressive slashes to Ridly Greig, seemingly out of nowhere. The Maple Leafs goalie clearly acting out of frustration hammered Greig with his stick, drawing gasps from the crowd and immediate backlash online. It wasn't a tangle, a scramble, or even a borderline hit. It was a flat-out attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scarlett Johansson, 40, Shows Off Her Real Size In A New Vacation Photos 33 Bridges Undo And yet, the officials delivered one of the most baffling decisions of the year: offsetting minors. Yes, despite being the clear aggressor, Stolarz was only handed the same punishment as Greig who appeared to do little more than exist in front of the net. No game misconduct. No major penalty. Just a head-scratching roughing call for both. This is where the NHL's infamous goalie protection culture starts to look less like safety protocol and more like unchecked privilege. In both hockey and soccer, goalies are treated as untouchable, often shielded by rules that don't apply to anyone else on the ice. But when that protection enables goalies to lash out without serious consequences, it threatens the integrity of the game. NHL faces backlash over inconsistent discipline in Anthony Stolarz incident The Stolarz-Greig clash is now trending on social media, with fans, analysts, and former players calling out the NHL's inconsistency. How can the league justify such leniency? If the roles were reversed, if Greig had slashed a goalie like that, there would be calls for suspension. But because it was a goaltender dishing out the damage, the NHL shrugged. Also Read: Jamie Benn and Jessica melt hearts with first photo of baby Knox Jay on Instagram This incident exposes a major flaw in how the league handles discipline and continues to spark outrage across fanbases. Anthony Stolarz may have walked away with a minor, but the NHL's reputation for fairness didn't. This wasn't just another rivalry flashpoint, it was a reminder that in today's NHL, who you are might matter more than what you do. Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India , including match schedules , team squads , points table and IPL live score for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap .
