The Ottawa Senators sound like they are having a good chuckle about warmupgate.
After news broke that the NHL is investigating an incident from Thursday night that saw Senators forward Nick Cousins shoot a puck at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in the pre-game warmup, Ottawa coach Travis Green was asked Friday for his thoughts on what transpired prior to Game 3.
“It’s an active investigation. I don’t know if I should be commenting on that I have people that have advised me maybe not to comment on it. I’m kidding,” Green said, drawing laughter from reporters.
“I saw the video. Cousins and Stolarz have played together (with the Florida Panthers). I don’t know, he’s probably trying to either laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. It is what it is.”
Green said he talked to Cousins about what happened.
“(Cousins) said ‘I know him’,” Green said. “Game within the game. It happens probably a lot more than you think.”
Senators forward David Perron said he hadn’t seen the incident when asked by reporters.
When a reporter told him the video was grainy, Perron, 36, said: “We’re gonna have to bring back HD for the warmup too. I’m from the days where there was only 10 games in HD when I started my career. It sounds like we need to update the quality of video in warmups, too.”
Stolarz drew the Senators’ ire after a series of slashes against Ottawa forward Ridly Greig led to offsetting minors for both players in Game 2.
Greig crashed into Stolarz’s lower body on a rush in Game 1.
After Game 3, Stolarz said he’d made a pre-game deal with the officiating crew.
“Watch my back, and I’ll behave,” he said.
The Maple Leafs earned their second straight 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3, pushing the Senators to the brink of elimination with a 3-0 series lead.
Watch Game 4 of the Leafs-Senators series Saturday at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.
