Things are not going well for the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, and they only managed to get worse in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Captain Jamie Benn got himself ejected in the first period for this vicious cross-check on Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone.
Have a look.
Jamie Benn's assessed a major for cross-checking Mark Stone. After review, the five minute is upheld + a game misconduct. pic.twitter.com/1jiRPcBNih
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 24, 2023
The play was reviewed, but the major penalty was upheld — as it should have been. The question now will be whether or not the NHL's Department of Player Safety will suspend him. That is anybody's guess because the DoPS has been wildly inconsistent and lenient this postseason, which has drawn criticism from fans and media alike.
The fact Benn was ejected so early in the game could actually help him as the league might view that as a proxy suspension. He should probably get another game thrown on for such a reckless play that had nothing to do with preventing or scoring a goal.
The Stars entered the game trailing 2-0 in the series, and Benn's penalty did not put his team in a good position in such a must-win game. Dallas ended up falling behind 3-0 in the first period and 4-0 by the end of the second period.
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