NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs-Senators Game 3 'pregame shenanigans' under league review, per insider

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators - Source: Imagn
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators (image credit: IMAGN)

Before Game 3 of the "Battle of Ontario" started on Thursday, the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs made headlines. Pucks were allegedly lobbed over to the Leafs' side to get under the team's skin. However, it didn't work, as they won in overtime to take a 3-0 lead.

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The NHL is reportedly looking into the pregame antics. According to TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger, the league is investigating to determine whether or not it needs to discipline a team or players.

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"A twist in the Battle of Ontario with allegations of pregame shenanigans last night. Sources say the NHL is looking at an incident in warmup prior to game three between the Leafs and Senators. Undetermined whether league discipline will follow," Dreger tweeted on Friday.

TSN's Bruce Garrioch confirmed the pregame incident.

"At one point there were a some pucks being lobbed by the #SENS in warmup. I did see Stutzle stop a lobbed puck near centre. Found it odd and didn’t think anything of it at the time. That was the only thing I noticed" Garrioch tweeted.
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Elliotte Friedman shared a video of the act in question.

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The NHL will decide whether or not that offense is punishable, and if there was more going on that also needs to be reviewed.


Maple Leafs star reflects on winning goal vs Senators

For the second straight game, the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs were tied 2-2 after regulation, and an overtime winner from the Leafs secured a 3-2 victory.

Simon Benoit won it for the Maple Leafs (Imagn)
Simon Benoit won it for the Maple Leafs (Imagn)

In Game 2 on Tuesday, it was Max Domi who slotted home the winner. On Thursday, Simon Benoit was the overtime hero. He said that it was the biggest goal of his life.

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“I don’t score (many) goals, so I would say yeah," Benoit said after the game, via NHL.com. "(The second-biggest was) probably peewee or something. No, it’s fine. I mean, in the playoffs, it’s not always the same guys. It’s fun when other guys get a good goal, because we know it’s hard to score in the playoffs."

Benoit added that "getting that goal was exciting," and it gave the Leafs a nearly insurmountable 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez
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