The Dallas Stars will be without their captain as they try to stay alive in the Western Conference final after Jamie Benn was suspended for two games.
Benn received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone at 1:53 of the first period in Tuesday’s game. The Golden Knights doubled their lead on the power play and won 4-0 to take a 3-0 lead in the series.
Benn, who knocked down Stone and caught the sliding forward with his stick in the face/neck area, called the play “unfortunate.”
“The game happens fast,” he told reporters on Wednesday before his hearing. “Emotions are high. Obviously I would have liked not to fall on him and I guess use my stick as a landing point.”
But the league’s player safety department said Benn was in control of the play and chose to deliver a “forceful cross-check to a prone player. This is simply an unnecessarily dangerous decision by Benn and is delivered with sufficient intent and force to merit supplemental discipline.” “
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Benn won’t be available Thursday night as the Stars try to avoid a sweep. He can’t play either if the Stars force a Game 5. If the Stars are swept, Benn’s second game would be served at the start of the 2023-24 regular season.
“From our group’s perspective, I think everybody wants to see Jamie play again,” coach Peter DeBoer said before the suspension was announced. “We all want to make sure his season doesn’t end on a note like that.”
The Stars could be down two forwards on Thursday because Evgenii Dadonov is listed as doubtful after a collision with teammate Roope Hintz in Game 3. Forward Max Domi will be lighter in the wallet after being fined $5,000 for slashing Stone.
DeBoer did say goalie Jake Oettinger would start in Game 4 after being pulled Tuesday when he gave up three goals on five shots. Oettinger had been 5-0 after a loss in this postseason until this series, when he lost three in a row.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stars’ Jamie Benn suspended for cross-checking Mark Stone