2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Nick Cousins, Senators Fined for Pregame Hijinks with Stolarz
The Battle of Ontario has a little Florida vibe to it, what with Stanley Cup champions Nick Cousins, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz all trying to move on in the playoffs.
On Tuesday night during warmups for Game 3 in Ottawa, Cousins — now with the Senators — sent a puck from his side of the ice toward Stolarz who was stretching along the boards on the Toronto side.
Cousins, who famously drew the ire of Hockey Night in Canada commentator and former player Kevin Bieksa last season, was hit with a $2,083.33 fine for his antics.
The Senators were also docked $25,000.
Nick Cousins takes to the streets of Fort Lauderdale Beach during the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup celebration wearing a ‘I Hate Bieksa’ t-shirt after being criticized by the Hockey Night in Canada commentator earlier in the season. // Photo by @JCRuizPhotography
Stolarz and the Senators have been battling throughout this series with the former Florida goalie getting into it with Ridly Greig during the first two games in Toronto.
So, perhaps Cousins’ puck toss was not so innocent?
Or, maybe, it was.
Stolarz and Cousins were not just teammates with the Panthers last season, but the two came up together in the Philadelphia organization and played together on both the AHL team and with the Flyers.
“Cousins and Stolarz have played together,’’ Ottawa coach Travis Green said on Friday after joking that the incident was under investigation. “I don’t know. He’s probably trying to either laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. Is what it is. … Game within a game. Happens a lot more than you think.”
Stolarz is now 3-0 in his first NHL playoff series as a starter, beating the Senators 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night.
So, he is enjoying himself.
2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND: GAME 3
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING @ FLORIDA PANTHERS
Panthers Lead Best-of-7 Series 2-0
- When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- National TV: TBS/truTV
- Streaming: Panthers+, MAX
- Radio: WAXY 790-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Series Schedule — Game 1: Florida 6, @ Tampa Bay 2; Game 2: Florida 2, @ Tampa Bay 0; Game 3 at Florida: Saturday, 1 (TBS/Scripps); Game 4 at Florida: Monday, 7 (ESPN/Scripps);Game 5* at Tampa: Wednesday (TBA); Game 6* at Florida: Friday, May 2 (TBA); Game 7* at Tampa: Sunday, May 4 (TBA).
- Regular Season Series: Tied 2-2
- All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 79-53-19, 10 ties
- All-Time Postgame Series: Tampa Bay Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.
