Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin found himself briefly down on the ice with a bloody nose and feeling disoriented after absorbing a shot to the face from Alex Pietrangelo.
The forceful swing from Pietrangelo, while the two were engaged along the boards, seemed to be a response from the Vegas Golden Knights to Seguin’s earlier penalty for an illegal check to the head of Shea Theodore in the second period. However, this retaliation proved costly for the reigning Stanley Cup champions as it led to the Stars taking the lead for the first time in the opening-round series with a 3-2 victory in Game 5.
“A leader on this team,” remarked Knights defenseman Alec Martinez about Pietrangelo. “Playoffs are always emotional, and it’s a charged atmosphere. You need that emotion, but it has to be controlled.”
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy expressed his dissatisfaction with Seguin’s hit on Theodore, stating, “A veteran guy should know better. We didn’t like the hit on Theodore by Seguin, quite obvious he left his feet and targeted the head. You’re going to be upset, but that’s playoff hockey. You’ve got to find a way to channel it. … We have to take care of our discipline.”
Having won the first two games away, the Knights are now facing a must-win situation at home to keep their title defense alive. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday night in Las Vegas.
Seguin clarified that he had no intention of delivering a headshot to Theodore, explaining, “Petro’s I don’t think a dirty player, either. I’m not a dirty player. I think there’s emotion in games sometimes.”
Initially called major penalties, both Seguin and Pietrangelo’s infractions were downgraded to two-minute minors after a replay review.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer emphasized the importance of managing emotions, saying, “There was a lot going on in the game. There was a lot of emotions both ways. Some questionable hits, not questionable hits. … It’s all about managing it.”
Last year, in a similar scenario, Stars captain Jamie Benn was suspended for two games after a contentious hit on Mark Stone during the Western Conference final. While the recent hits weren’t as severe, they still had significant impacts on the game, particularly Pietrangelo’s retaliatory hit which led to a power-play goal for the Stars.
“That’s an area you’ve got to take a number and try to get those things squared away,” Cassidy reflected. “Dallas went through it last year right? Benn got thrown out if you remember. And so there’s a little bit of a learning curve that goes into it. And I feel like we should know better. … But it happens.”
Leave a Reply