OTTAWA — The NHL is investigating the conduct of some members of the Ottawa Senators during warmups before Game 3 of their first-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a league source said on Friday morning.
Senators forward Nick Cousins is alleged to have been shooting pucks into the Leafs end of the ice before Thursday’s game and appeared to be targetting goaltender Anthony Stolarz, in particular, according to the source.
Other members of the team may have been involved in lobbing pucks across the centre line as well.
It’s been an eventful series for Stolarz, who was upset at the way Senators forward Ridly Greig slid into him toward the end of Game 1 and later took matters into his own hands by delivering multiple chops to Greig in his goal crease during Game 2. Ottawa head coach Travis Green referred to the Leafs goaltender as a “fiery” guy.
While Stolarz didn’t mention the alleged incident in warmups when speaking with reporters following a 3-2 overtime win in Game 3, he did acknowledge that the Senators appear to be trying to get under his skin.
“I just kind of stay out of it,” he said. “I kind of talked to the refs a little bit there tonight and just said, ‘Just watch my back and I’ll behave.’”
The Senators trail the series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
(Photo of the Senators warming up ahead of Game 3: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)