The Minnesota Wild (3-2) took a 3-2 series lead with a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars (2-2) in Dallas on Tuesday.
Game 6 is set for Thursday back in Minnesota at 6:30.
In Game 5, Stars’ captain Jamie Benn was at it again with his behind-the-play antics.
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Benn, 36, has zero points in five games and is a minus-5. He has just one goal in his last 23 playoff games.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday that they have fined Benn $2,604.17, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Wild forward Ryan Hartman during Game 5 of the teams’ First Round series in Dallas
The incident occurred at 14:45 of the third period. Benn was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking.
Hartman was assessed a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. This is the sixth cross-check Benn has delivered with full force. It was the first one that resulted in a penalty and the first one that resulted in the NHL taking notice.
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But that slap on the wrist of $2,604.17 won’t stop Benn’s antics. He has been fined or suspended in four out of the last five playoffs. He was suspended in 2023 for cross-checking.
Fining him $2,604.17 isn’t an acceptable justification for this decision and will only allow him to continue this.
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NHL Must Address Jamie Benn After String of Dangerous, Uncalled Plays
NHL Must Address Jamie Benn After String of Dangerous, Uncalled Plays Jamie Benn’s dangerous, uncalled playoff antics continue. The NHL faces pressure to address a pattern of reckless plays impacting star players.
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– Wild’s Mats Zuccarello, Yakov Trenin Out With Upper-Body Injuries.
– Stars’ Top Center Remains Out Vs Wild For Next Two Games.
– Jesper Wallstedt Rewards Wild’s Confidence In Game 1 Win.
– Wild’s Vladimir Tarasenko Has Rediscovered His Scoring Prowess.
– Yakov Trenin Breaks Minnesota Wild Single-Season Hits Record.
Read the full article here
