Greig calls Xhekaj hit on Stützle 'dirty'
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Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig said he thought Arber Xhekaj's hit on teammate Tim Stützle was "dirty."
“A dirty play, the league will handle that," Greig said Wednesday following Tuesday's fiery pre-season game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Xhekaj caught Stützle with a high hit in the second period of the Canadiens 4-3 preseason loss to the Canadiens. Stützle was skating into the offensive zone when Xhekaj delivered the hit, sending to him the ice.
Stützle was cut on his nose and ruled out of the game with an upper-body injury. Xhekaj received a five-minute major penalty and was ejected from the game. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk also left the game with an upper-body injury following a fight with Xhekaj immediately after the Stützle play.
“I don’t want Brady fighting all the time, but Brady is Brady," head coach Travis Green said.
"When he sees his centreman take a deliberate, deliberate or not, head shot which is something we don’t want to see int he game, a blind side head shot. Whoever is on the ice is going to stand up for their teammates and definitely not try to take away Brady’s feistiness. He is who he is, but I don’t want him to fight all the time.”
Fireworks started earlier in the night when Greig delivered a hit on Kirby Dach. The two collided again later in the game and Dach took exception, throwing knuckles with the Sens' centre.
"I don't think it was a hockey play but sh** happens, you have to move on," Dach said. "The second time same thing. He came and hit me, got both hands up and hit me in face so I just kinda snapped and had enough."
“It’s definitely a bad read on my part I can understand why they’d be pissed off," Greig said of his hit in the first.
“I had to keep my head up after that.”
The Senators went on to win 4-3 behind goals from Greig, Adam Gaudette, Carter Yakemchuk and Michael Amadio.
“It was an emotional (game) for sure. There were some emotions running high tonight, but that’s hockey and that’s part of the game,” said Senators head coach Travis Green.
Sens await update on Stützle, Tkachuk
Green told reporters Wednesday he did not have an update on Stützle or Tkachuk following their upper-body injuries sustained Tuesday.
Defenceman Thomas Chabot also departed later in the game for precautionary reasons.
While Green did not reveal anything concrete, he did say “I don’t suspect we’re going to lose three players." The Sens are scheduled to open the regular season next Thursday at home against the Florida Panthers.