(Dallas) Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn said Wednesday he wished he hadn’t used his stick “as a landing spot” when he viciously punched Mark Stone in the face while the latter was on the ground.
Benn delivered a dangerous blow to his opponent in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals series, which saw the Stars lose for the third straight time and find themselves one loss away from elimination.
Benn had a hearing later in the day with the NHL’s Discipline Department, and was suspended for two games.
The captain of the Stars will therefore not be able to help his team to stay in the race during the fourth game. Benn could return to play in these playoffs only if the Stars win the next two games and force a sixth game.
“It was the intensity of the moment,” Benn said. I have to be more responsible with my body and my stick. »
The Golden Knights won Game 3 of the series 4-0 on Tuesday. With a Game 4 win on Thursday, the team could advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in just six seasons.
“I didn’t like how it went, but we reacted well as a team and stayed focused,” Stone said.
The Stars were hoping for a good third game, but instead saw the opposition score three goals in the opening seven and a half minutes.
Neither captain spoke to reporters after the game, but reporters spoke on Wednesday.
Benn received a game misconduct for his cross-check less than two minutes into the game when the two captains collided near the blue line. Stone fell to the rink and Benn leaned forward with both hands on his stick, cross-checking in the area of ​​Stone’s stroke with it.
Asked what he could have done differently, Benn said he definitely didn’t want to get a five-minute penalty and an ejection.
“The game is fast paced and the emotions are intense,” added Benn. Of course, I wish I hadn’t bumped into him. »
The Stars may also have to play without forward Evgenii Dadonov, who left the final game in the first period with a lower body injury.
Max Domi, who received a 10-minute major misconduct late in the second period, was fined US$5,000 by the NHL. Domi batted Stone late in the game, but no penalty was awarded.