Violent line brawl ensues after Anthony Stolarz clipped by feisty Senators forward
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Austin Sabourin
Mar 1, 2026 (9:39)
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Photo credit: Sportsnet screenshot
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube watched his goaltender Anthony Stolarz explode during a violent Saturday night collision.
The Battle of Ontario always delivers pure chaos. This latest chapter against the Ottawa Senators did not disappoint the sold-out crowd.
Tensions boiled over completely in the third period. The bad blood between these two Atlantic Division rivals is entirely authentic.
Senators forward Ridly Greig took an extra whack at a covered puck. That decision immediately sparked a massive retaliation.
Stolarz took extreme exception to the late jab. The goaltender dropped his blocker and went straight after the Ottawa agitator.
All hell broke loose inside the crease. Every single skater on the ice jumped into the pile to defend their respective teammates.
The officials needed several minutes to separate the brawling groups. Both locker rooms were clearly sending a physical message ahead of the playoffs.
Fans got their money for the battle of Ontario
Over his NHL career, Stolarz has rarely lost his temper like that. He normally relies on solid execution and calm positioning in the blue paint.
But Toronto is tired of being pushed around. They refuse to let opposing forwards crash the blue line and take liberties with their goaltenders.
Greig is no stranger to controversy against the Maple Leafs. He famously triggered a similar incident last season with an empty-net slap shot.
The defensive structure from both sides completely vanished during the chaotic sequence. It was a wild scene right up until the final buzzer.
Toronto's bottom six has been held scoreless over the last three games. They desperately needed this type of emotional spark to wake up the transition game.
These two bitter enemies will meet twice more before the regular season concludes. The front office expects the hatred to carry over into those final matchups.
The next puck drop between these organizations will be absolute must-watch television. Expect the penalty kill units to be extremely busy.
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