Battle of Ontario between Senators and Leafs heats up off the ice

The Ottawa Senators’ Ridly Greig stirred the pot on Sunday night against Toronto when he delivered a cross-check to the head of John Tavares. Photo by Claus Andersen /Getty ImagesArticle content

The games have already started, on and off the ice, in the first Battle of Ontario in 21 years.

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In the Ottawa Senators’ 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena, all the players on the ice were given roughing minors with 46 seconds remaining in the third period.

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With Game 2 set for Tuesday night in Toronto before the series shifts to the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators were trying to send a message that they won’t be pushovers, and the Leafs weren’t about to take that kind of treatment sitting down.

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We knew heading into this series that Ridly Greig could emerge as a villain, and it didn’t take long to happen. A cross-check to the head of Toronto centre John Tavares was first ruled a five-minute major, but, after further review, it was reduced to two minutes.

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Trying to send a message to the league to keep an eye on Game 2, Leafs coach Craig Berube chose his words carefully when asked about the decision to reduce the penalty to a minor.

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“That’s not my call,” Berube said, shaking his head with a smile. “That’s not my call. The referees and the league will look at things and make the calls they make. We’re not going to focus on that. We’re going to focus on what we need to do in the next game.”

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For his part, Tavares decided to echo Berube’s sentiments, but there won’t be any further discipline from the league.

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“I’m just going to let the refs and the league handle it,” Tavares said. “We’re just going to compete hard and try to fight for every inch you can. You fight through it and continue to play.”

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But Berube decided to take the discussion a little further. He didn’t like the way the Senators were treating goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Later in the game, Greig crashed into Stolarz going to the net and centre Tim Stutzle also slipped into the netminder a few minutes later.

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“I thought they made some attempts at our goalie, and sliding into him. That’s not for us to worry about,” Berube said. “We’ve got to focus on playing and what we need to do. The league will look after that stuff.”

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Stolarz wasn’t on the ice for Toronto’s quick skate on Monday, getting a day off after making 31 stops in the win.

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Berube advised reporters to “call the league” about the Greig call before leaving the room.

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You have to know this is Berube trying to make sure the league is on notice before Game 2.

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Greig already has a history with the Leafs after he fired a slap shot into an empty net last season in Ottawa that resulted in a punch in the face from Morgan Rielly and a six-game suspension.