Jamie Benn likely just cost the Dallas Stars their chance of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was ejected from Tuesday’s Game 3 NHL playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights for a vicious cross-check on VGK captain Mark Stone. Benn was assessed a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct on the play, which was upheld upon video review.
The vicious sequence occurred just 1:53 into the contest. Benn cross-checked Stone in the neck area after he already took him down in front of the penalty box. VGK blueliner Alex Pietrangelo had possession of the puck in Vegas’ zone when Benn cross-checked Stone as he was laying on the ice.
Check out this vicious cross-check from Benn on Stone. This has no place in our game:
Video
Considering the cross-check gave Vegas a five-minute power play, it’s no surprise it turned out to be costly. Ivan Barbashev scored on the power play at 5:57 to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead. Jonathan Marchessault had previously opened the scoring to make it 1-0 Vegas.
There’s no reason for Benn to be doing something like this given the stakes at hand. The Stars were trailing 2-0 in the series and facing a virtual must-win situation in Game 3. The veteran Benn is the captain of the team and supposed to lead by example. Instead, he put his own squad in a major hole by taking a dumb penalty.
Following Marchessault’s goal with Benn in the penalty box, the Knights scored once again to claim a 3-0 lead. This chased Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger from the game and completely drained any remaining life inside American Airlines Center. This was the exact opposite of what Dallas needed to begin Game 3.
Benn is likely to face a suspension for his actions Tuesday, especially considering his history. Benn delivered a vicious cross-check on Detroit Red Wings’ captain Dylan Larkin in 2021, which ended the young forward’s season. While Benn avoided supplementary discipline for that play, it was clear there was intent to injure.
For no reason in particular, here's Jamie Benn cross-checking Dylan Larkin's neck/spine in 2021, ending his season and receiving no discipline. ☕ pic.twitter.com/slJG7WfrOA
— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) May 24, 2023
Not only did Benn put his team down for five minutes in Game 3, but he also takes himself out of the action for at least one game. The 33-year-old has been a key contributor for the Stars this playoff run, managing three goals and eight assists in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Considering the lack of consistency from the NHL DOPS, we can only hope George Parros drops the hammer and teaches Benn a lesson. We can’t have these types of vicious cross-checks in the game.