Morgan Rielly gets 5-game ban for cross-check on Senators’ Ridly Greig

Article content

Morgan Rielly paid the price for trying to get revenge.

Article content

The National Hockey League’s department of play safety came down hard on the Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman for his vicious cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig on Saturday night.

Article content

After a virtual hearing with George Parros, the NHL’s vice-president of safety, Monday, Rielly was given a five-game ban by the league on Tuesday night. Upset with the 21-year-old Greig firing a slapshot into an empty net to seal the Senators’ 5-3 win at the Canadian Tire Centre, Rielly went on the attack.

Though Greig was fine, the NHL has been trying to clamp down on hits to the head and had to throw the book at Rielly. This is just what he deserved.

“Rielly intentionally strikes Greig in the head with substantial force,” the league said in its decision. “This is not an inadvertent or accidental use of the stick for hockey purposes. This play occurs well after the goal has been scored and for the soul purpose of retribution.

Article content

“Rielly pursues Greig for some time and could choose to engage him in a different manner. This isn’t a hockey play, this an intentional, forceful strike to an opponent’s head.”

ENOUGH ALREADY

What’s happened in the past, stays in the past.

The Senators have had just about enough of the debate surrounding rookie winger Greig’s slapshot into an empty net to seal the victory over the Leafs.

“The play at the end we just want to move on from, and we just want to stop talking about that,” centre Shane Pinto said before his team faced the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The incident has received a lot of attention because of the reaction by some Toronto fans and media, who were completely unhinged.

Let’s be honest, if that happened against any team outside of Canada, it likely wouldn’t get as much attention as this has received.

Article content

“It’s going to get a lot of noise against the Leafs,” said alternate captain Thomas Chabot. “It’s hockey, there’s a lot of emotions and there’s a lot of things going on in the game, and it happened. There’s nothing you can do about it now, we just have to focus on our game tonight.”

If anyone thought somebody on the Senators would take the 21-year-old Greig aside and tell him not to do that again, that’s not likely the case. A TSN camera caught former Ottawa tough guy Chris Neil giving Greig a fist pump before he went on the ice for the morning skate.

“We got the win and that’s all we wanted,” Chabot added.

SALARY CAP ISSUES

The Senators were literally shorthanded for 60 minutes on Tuesday.

After leaving the ice early during the skate Monday, defenceman Artem Zub wasn’t on the ice Tuesday and didn’t suit up against the Blue Jackets.

Article content

That mean the Senators had only five blueliners for this one because the club doesn’t have space under the salary cap to call anyone up.

“We’ll see if he’s available,” interim coach Jacques Martin told reporters following the skate.

Asked if he had been behind the bench for a game with five defencemen, Martin said it happened in Pittsburgh when he was an assistant under Mike Sullivan.

Then general manager Jim Rutherford came to Martin before a game and told him they would only dress five defencemen because the Penguins were about to make a deal.

“I know guys won’t be in my office tomorrow looking for more ice time,” Martin said with a smile.

Martin said Zub suffered the lower-body injury during the game against the Leafs on Saturday.

Article content

The club already is without defenceman Jake Sanderson, who has an undisclosed lower body injury, and losing Zub is a huge hit.

Because the Senators don’t have any space under the cap, they will have to play one man short on the roster for one game, and then they will be allowed to recall a defenceman from their American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville in time for their home game against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

AHL all-star defenceman Maxence Guenette and Tyler Kleven would be the top candidates for an emergency recall from Belleville. Both have had strong seasons in Belleville, and Guenette could get a chance after being the club’s last cut at the end of training camp.

This is all part of the salary-cap gymnastics the Senators have had to perform this season.

Article content

The club waived rugged winger Zack MacEwen on Monday. He cleared Tuesday at 2 p.m. and was sent to Belleville to get his $775,000 salary off the books.

Goaltender Kevin Mandolese also was sent to Belleville on Tuesday and Anton Forsberg started in net against Columbus. Forsberg had not suited up since he suffered a right groin injury during a game on Jan. 11.

Forsberg makes $2.75 million and the club had only $1.2 million in cap space Monday.

The good news is that Sanderson, who has missed two games with an ailment he suffered Feb. 1 against the Detroit Red Wings, skated for the second straight day.

Martin indicated Sanderson could be ready to play as early Saturday on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks, or Monday night versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. For that to happen, Sanderson would have to resume skating with the club by Friday, so early next week is more likely.

“He’s progressing and he’s skating,” Martin said. “I haven’t spoken with the (medical staff) but it’s encouraging. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon, whether it’s on the weekend or next week in Florida. It looks like a good possibility and we’ll see where he’s at.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Article content