This isn’t what you want to see from your captain in a must-win playoff series.
On Tuesday, the Dallas Stars were hosting the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. After losing both games on the road in Vegas, the Stars looked to get off on a better foot at home in front of a Dallas crowd. Instead, captain Jamie Benn took himself out of the game mere minutes in after an extremely unnecessary cross-check.
With less than two minutes gone by in the first period and the Stars already down 1-0, Benn laid a hit into Mark Stone. The Stars captain then gave Stone a rough cross-check to the face while the Vegas player was down on the ice, drawing a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.
Jamie Benn cross-checks Mark Stone up high while Stone was down on the ice#TexasHockey | #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/0m4vefDLlt
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) May 24, 2023
Jamie Benn was given a 5 minute major on this play pic.twitter.com/NZESKh2JtL
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 24, 2023
Benn very well could get another game or two on top as well given how reckless this cross-check was. And on the ensuing five-minute power play, the Golden Knights scored to double their lead. By first period’s end? The Stars were facing a 3-0 deficit and one of their leaders carelessly took themselves out of the game.
NHL fans tore into Benn for the reckless cross-check that cost the Stars one of their best players in Game 3.
Jamie Benn was fined in back-to-back playoff games last year. Does a suspension for either of those prevent this? I doubt it, but we know the two fines didn’t work. https://t.co/uFofawqg6J
— Steve “Dangle” Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) May 24, 2023
jamie benn what are you doing
— Tony X (@soIoucity) May 24, 2023
That's just really undisciplined from Benn, and not ideal from the captain when you're back on home ice + trailing 2-0 in the series.
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 24, 2023
Garbage play by Jamie Benn there
— Hunter (@HunterHodies) May 24, 2023
Wow five-minutes and a game misconduct to Jamie Benn for the cross check. Just a really careless, unnecessary play. Stars going on the the PK and will play short all night for the next 58 minutes.
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) May 24, 2023
Dallas: We need to be smart this game.
Jamie Benn: pic.twitter.com/TJhsR2CwB3
— Ben Branscum (@BrBranscum43) May 24, 2023
Jamie Benn has been hit with a game misconduct. He's done for the night.
An absolutely unforgivable mistake from *the* captain and undisputed leader of this team, just 1:53 into the most important game of the year. Unbelievable.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) May 24, 2023
Jamie Benn doing exactly what Jamie Benn does
— Adam Wylde (@AdamWylde) May 24, 2023
jamie benn clocked in, clocked someone else and then promptly clocked out within the span of 3 minutes
— sodom and glamoura (@meowsinternally) May 24, 2023
