Senators' HC Travis Green opens up on the challenges of containing Leafs captain Auston Matthews

Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green spoke to reporters after practice on Wednesday. Green shared thoughts on playing against Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs.

Green said the Leafs captain is a strong all-around player and praised Matthews for being good in both offense and defense.

"It'll be nice. We didn't chase it hard, then we started to, he's a good player," Green said, [8:00 onwards] "If you're not standing on the other bench, you like watching them, so but it's hard to keep good players quiet.

"And you know, it's not just offense that he brings either, he's a good player in his own zone. And, yeah, so we'll try to contain him as much as we can, much like they're going to try to do the same with our players."

Green said the Senators will try to contain him and he knows it will be a tough challenge.

In two playoff games, Matthews has played over 40 minutes. He has three assists and helped control the game. In Game 1, he had two assists, six shots, and four hits. In Game 2, he played over 21 minutes and added another assist. He is leading the Leafs’ top line and power-play unit.

Auston Matthews broke Senators forward Ridly Greig's stick

Auston Matthews was a key player in Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators. He helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win 6-2. Matthews also broke Ridly Greig’s stick during a tense moment near the bench.

The video of the incident was shared online by Sportsnet two days later. It showed Matthews reacting after Greig crashed into the Leafs' bench.

"Auston Matthews snapped Ridly Greig's stick after it got pulled into the Leafs' bench during Game 1 😲" Sportsnet captioned the post.

Greig began Game 1 with a strong cross-check on ex-Leafs captain John Tavares. He later collided with Stolarz after a hit from a Leafs player. Greig had already drawn attention with his cross-check and collision.

Matthews’ response added to the intensity of the game. In Game 2, Stolarz cross-checked and body-checked Greig in retaliation.

Talking about which, Greig said:

"It's certainly a lot of fun. Can't remember the last two games. I don't think I've ever had that much fun playing hockey, so just enjoying it."

But, despite Greig's gritty play, Toronto now leads the series 2-0 and Matthews has shown strong two-way play with offense and smart defensive play.