Hockey Night in Canada panel discusses the Morgan Rielly incident

The Battle of Ontario on Saturday was quite the showdown, especially after Ridly Greig's slapshot empty-net goal, firing off a rocket of a shot into the empty Leafs net during a breakaway, sealing an Ottawa Senators 5-3 victory.

Yet things took a sharp turn when veteran Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly decided to take matters into his own hands.

Morgan Rielly wasn't thrilled about Greig's showboating goal, and boy, did he make it known. He charged at Greig full speed ahead, delivering a fierce cross-check that caught Greig square in the shoulder and head. Now, here's the thing: when you watch the replay, it's pretty clear that Rielly's aim was for the shoulder.

Yet, with Greig raising his arm, it unfortunately turned into a headshot. And in hockey, you have to control that stick, no excuses.

Analyzing Rielly's Cross-Check Incident:

After the game, the Hockey Night in Canada panel weighed in on the whole ordeal. Kevin Bieksa didn't hold back, pointing out that if Rielly hadn't retaliated, we'd all be criticizing the Leafs for not standing up to Greig's flashy play. Jennifer Botterill agreed that Greig's behavior was unnecessary, but she wasn't too keen on the head contact from Rielly's cross-check.


And then there's the big question: what's the punishment coming for Reilly? Kelly Hrudey didn't mince words, predicting a hefty 5 or 6-game suspension for Rielly. Yet Ron MacLean and Bieksa had a different take, thinking it might land 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 looking at a lot more time on the sidelines. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.