Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly objects to goal, cross-checks Senators’ Ridly Greig in head

Toronto Maple Leafs All-Star defenseman Morgan Rielly could be looking at NHL discipline for his reaction to an Ottawa Senators goal on Saturday night.

Ottawa’s Ridly Greig put the final touches on a hard-fought 5-3 victory in the Battle of Ontario with an empty net goal with six seconds left, but he fired the puck in with a close-in slap shot, a violation of NHL unwritten rules.

Rielly took exception to how the goal was scored and followed Greig as he skated back to teammates to celebrate, then cross-checked him in the head. Greig went down to the ice and stayed down as a scrum started, but he eventually got up.

CAPITALS: Alex Ovechkin breaks a Wayne Gretzky record

The on-ice officials handed Rielly a cross-checking major and it was upheld on review. He also received a game misconduct.

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said he thought Rielly’s reaction was appropriate.

“I think he’s reacting to a play,” Keefe told reporters. “Their player has a right to do what he wants in that moment, and our players have a right to react. That’s the emotions of the game.”

The NHL’s player safety department suspended the Detroit Red Wings’ David Perron for six games earlier this season for a cross-check to the head during a game against the Senators. Perron was reacting to an injury to his captain, Dylan Larkin.

Rielly, who has never been suspended, was voted by fans into this month’s All-Star Game in Toronto and was one of four Maple Leafs players on the victorious Team Matthews.

NHL player safety was already busy on Saturday, suspending Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov for two games for an illegal check to the head of Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond. The Canucks play Sunday afternoon, so the hearing was held hours after Saturday’s game.

Zadorov will forfeit more than $39,000 in pay.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morgan Rielly cross-checks Ridly Greig in head after empty net goal