Auston Matthews was not impressed with Ridly Greig's slapshot empty-net goal on Saturday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs star forward addressed teammate Morgan Rielly's retaliation of Greig's antics and how the Leafs defender was justified in responding to the action.
"It definitely deserved a reaction," Matthews said. "Morgan's not a malicious player and someone that's dirty by any means. Him approaching him was something that was bound to happen. Somebody was going to do it after a play like that."
With the Senators leading the Maple Leafs 4-3, Greig found himself with the puck in front of an open net and elected to slap the shot into the goal. Rielly took exception to the play and cross-checked Greig in the head, drawing a major penalty, a game misconduct and an in-person hearing the with NHL Department of Player Safety.
Matthews was later asked if he'd ever seen a player do what Greig did to score the Sens fifth goal.
"Just last week at the All-Star Game," Matthews said, referring to the hardest shot portion of the skills competition where players fire a shot into an open net.
Rielly is expected to have his hearing in New York City on Tuesday afternoon. An in-person hearing gives the NHL the option to suspend Rielly for as many as six or more games. At practice on Monday, all of his teammates who spoke stood up for Rielly and defended the action. Even if it meant being without their top defenseman for an extended period of time.
Rielly has seven goals and 36 assists in 50 games with the Leafs this season.
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