Ridly Greig's jaw-dropping slapshot into the empty Toronto Maple Leafs net during a breakaway, sealing the Ottawa Senators' 5-3 victory in Saturday's Battle of Ontario sent the home crowd into delirium. Yet things got even crazier when Morgan Rielly decided to stir the pot.
Rielly wasn't having it with Greig's flashy goal, and he ensured everyone knew it. He charged at Greig like a freight train, delivering a fierce cross-check that caught Greig square in the shoulder and head. Now, watching the replay, Rielly's aim seemed to be the shoulder, but with Greig raising his arm, it was a headshot.
Debating Rielly's Cross-Check: Insights from Hockey Night in Canada Panel
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After the game, the Hockey Night in Canada panel chimed in on the whole mess. Kevin Bieksa didn't pull any punches, saying if Rielly hadn't retaliated, we'd all be ripping into the Leafs for not standing up to Greig's flashy play. Jennifer Botterill thought Greig's antics were unnecessary, but she wasn't too thrilled about the head contact from Rielly's cross-check.
Kelly Hrudey didn't sugarcoat the potential punishment for Reilly, predicting a hefty 5 or 6-game suspension. Yet Ron MacLean and Bieksa had a different take, thinking it might be closer to a 2-game suspension.
Now, it's all in the hands of the Department of Player Safety. A phone hearing might mean less than 5 games, but if it's an in-person hearing, well, Rielly could be riding the pine for a lot longer. We'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.
| POLL | ||
12 FEVRIER | 998 ANSWERS Hockey Night in Canada's Take on the Battle of Ontario Drama What do you think should be the appropriate suspension length for Morgan Rielly's cross-check incident? | ||
| No suspension | 163 | 16.3 % |
| 1-2 games | 357 | 35.8 % |
| 3-5 games | 206 | 20.6 % |
| 6+ | 272 | 27.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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