Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Reveals the Truth Behind His Altercation with Ridly Greig

Late in Game 1 of the Battle of Ontario, Senators forward Ridly Greig collided with Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz as he attempted to cut towards the net, pinching Stolarz's leg against the post.

Thankfully, Stolarz was okay, but the play prompted former Leafs legend Ed Belfour to plead with the Leafs netminder to take matters into his own hands during his appearance on Leafs Morning Take on Monday, suggesting that it's what he would have done in the same position.

Stolarz was clearly listening, as during the second period of Game 2, with Greig parked in front of the Leafs' net, Stolarz delivered a series of slashes and punches before dropping Greig to the ice with a violent bump.

Following the game, Stolarz was asked about his battle with Greig revealing the truth behind the exchange. Surprisingly, Stolarz was unaware of who it was -- he was simply playing physical. That's his story, and he's sticking to it.

Regardless of how intense the battle is, I have to believe that players are largely aware of who they are engaged with, especially when their name plate and jersey number is visible for an entire shift -- and even more visible to a goalie while they're parked in front of the net.

Leafs head coach Craig Berube supported Stolarz's antics when asked about the altercation during his post-game media availability.

Greig has overshadowed Brady Tkachuk as public enemy number one through two games in the playoffs, picking up where he left off when he took a slapshot into the empty net in February 2024, which led to a five-game suspension for Morgan Rielly, who took exception.

With Game 3 shifting to Ottawa, it's safe to say that things are going to get even more heated as the Sens will control the matchups on home ice with the last change. As such, we may not have seen the last of Ridly Greig getting under Stolarz's skin. At least now, though, we know that Stolarz isn't afraid to get physical and stand up for himself.