Report: NHL investigating Senators’ Nick Cousins for warm-up incident

According to multiple reports, the NHL is investigating an incident that occurred during pregame warmups between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. In the lead-up to Game 3 on Thursday night of their Atlantic Division Semifinals, Senators forward Nick Cousins shot a puck at Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz while Stolarz was doing his routine on his side of the red line.

While Cousins didn’t necessarily hurt Stolarz, as it was more a soft wrist shot than a malicious attempt to injure the Leafs’ netminder, the league has been pretty strict on its stance of shenanigans during warmups, as there are no officials present to mediate any potential altercations.

It’s worth noting that Cousins and Stolarz were teammates on the Florida Panthers last season, both being a part of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. So, it could merely be seen as a playful act before former comrades.

It certainly didn’t rattle Stolarz, as he stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced, helping Toronto grab a 3-2 overtime win over the provincial rivals, taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The 31-year-old netminder has certainly been involved in the series, especially on the physical side. Stolarz has had a couple of clashes with Sens forward Ridly Greig, including knocking down Greig during a spirited battle in Game 2.

Leafs Nation isn’t too fond of Cousins – one of the more hated players in the NHL. Cousins received a lot of heat for his knee-on-knee hit on Leafs rookie Jacob Quillan in January, which led Toronto head coach Craig Berube to speak out about his displeasure with Cousins’ actions.

Game 4 between Toronto and Ottawa is set for Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for a little after 7 p.m. ET.