The Ottawa Senators refused to go quietly into the off-season. In Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators brought physicality and intensity, settling scores and igniting a melee.
It wasn't a win for Ottawa on Saturday, but there was no shortage of scores settled. The trouble began in a 2-1 loss in Game 3 when a hit by Taylor Hall on Jake Sanderson in the second period left the latter with a concussion, setting up chaos on Saturday afternoon.
Kleven's Hit Ignites the Fire
Defenceman Tyler Kleven started the trouble in the second period when he delivered a massive hit on Alexander Nikishin along the boards. Nikishin had to be helped off the ice, and Kleven was jumped by Andrei Svechnikov. The hit was one of the hardest in the NHL this season.
“I thought that they were being physical, and part of my game is being physical,” said Kleven. “We had a hit earlier in the series, where Sandy got caught up high, and sometimes that needs to be addressed. I saw a play where he had possession of the puck, and I just tried to take the puck away from him basically.”
Tempers boiled at the CTC. The temperature was turned up high in the second period, with both teams going toe-to-toe. The Senators finally brought some bad blood into this series by launching hard, crushing hits that incensed the Hurricanes.
Greig's Antics and Walker's Payback
Ridly Greig stirred the pot with what looked like a sucker-punch on Sean Walker. Greig had already been to the box for running goalie Frederik Andersen. Walker got payback late in the second by slamming Greig into the glass with 1:39 left. Greig may face a call from the league and could start next season with a suspension. Many felt the NHL's department of hockey operations should have stepped in.
Coach Travis Green didn't mind the melee. “I kind of liked it. For starters, we like to play on the edge,” said Green. “I think in playoff hockey, you see hatred starts to build as the series goes on. And I liked we showed a lot of fight in our game. We weren't going to quit. We weren't going to go away quietly. And we didn't give their team credit, like they're battle tested. They've been through a lot. They've been through some, I'm sure, a lot of crazy games in the playoffs over the years, and they found a way to get the job done in a hostile game.”
Svechnikov jumped in to defend his teammate, but Kleven can't fight because he's still recovering from a broken jaw. Kleven's hit was reviewed, but he only received a minor penalty, and the Senators got a power play. Nicolas Deslauriers let the Ottawa bench know there could be trouble, and he followed up later.
“Is it the smartest thing to hit someone in the back of the neck? That's playoffs,” said Kleven.
