Toronto Maple Leafs

There are two ways to view Morgan Rielly’s confronting Ridly Greig at the end of Saturday’s game in Ottawa.

Either you think Rielly was out of line for charging Greig after he wound up for a slap shot into an empty net with seconds left in regulation. Or, conversely, you believe Rielly was right to stand up for his team in what was a clear bit of taunting (and poor sportsmanship).

There are valid arguments to be had on either side.

I lean toward the latter, that Rielly was right to do something. Was letting his stick get up around Greig’s head a mistake? Yes. Was it a heat-of-the-moment reaction? Yes. (The NFL has taunting penalties for a reason.)

It would have been weird to do nothing. To watch Greig show up the Toronto Maple Leafs in that spot and just let it pass. What would the reaction have been had that been the case? Same old Leafs, right? Rielly, and the team as a whole, would have been hammered for not pushing back, for not standing up for themselves.

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