Ottawa Senators winger Ridly Greig is Public Enemy No. 1 in Battle of Ontario

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Matthew Knies called Greig “annoying” after he crashed into Stolarz in Game 1.

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“It was just a nice battle in front of the net,” the soft-spoken Greig stated Wednesday. “I didn’t think too much about it. In the moment, you’re just kind of battling.”

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Were you surprised you got a penalty as well?

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“Maybe a touch, yeah,” said Greig. “You’re just trying to get in his eyes. There is a kind of fine line between being inside the crease and just on top of it. I was just trying to battle in front of the net.

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“He wasn’t having it. It was good.”

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Ottawa Senator Ridly Greig speaks to the media at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday. Toronto coach Craig Berube says he respects what Greig brings to the table. Photo by Tony Caldwell /PostmediaArticle content

Toronto coach Craig Berube doesn’t believe there will be any carryover in Game 3.

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“(Stolarz) commented on it and said that it was just a heat-of-the-moment type of deal,” Berube said. “He’s just protecting his crease, which I don’t have a problem with.”

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It was pointed out to Greig that he has emerged as Public Enemy No. 1 in Toronto because of the way he conducts himself. He and the Senators don’t have an issue with that.

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“It’s a lot of fun,” Greig said. “The last two games, I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun playing hockey. I’m just enjoying it, and the competition is certainly a lot of fun.

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“People can say whatever they want. I’m just trying to go out there and play. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the guys win.”

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Berube respects what Greig brings to the table.

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“He’s a good player,” Berube said. “He’s a competitor, he’s got a lot of good hockey traits, in my opinion. You’ve got to play him hard. He’s going to do what he does.

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“You can’t retaliate. It’s important not to retaliate, but at the same time, you’ve got to protect our goalie, the front of the net and not allow people to come in there and get involved with our goal. That’s important for sure.

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“At the same time, you can’t react to things he does and go to the penalty box.”

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The Senators need more of that style. It’s paramount that if the Senators are to have any hope of getting back into this series, it has to start immediately.

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Green has stated that it’s important the Senators don’t dwell on what happened in Toronto and move on.

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“Turning the page is important whether you win or lose,” Green said. “Especially at playoff time, but also from game to game, playing better in areas that you need to play better.

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“There were certain things that we wanted to do from Game 1 to Game 2 that I thought helped. Then, from Game 2 to Game 3, each team is going to make a few adjustments, and you hope that they help. That’s a big part of playoff hockey as well.”

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