'Embarrassing': Ducks rip Coyotes' Jay Beagle for cross-check, 'cowardly' fight on Troy Terry
The Anaheim Ducks didn't appreciate a cross-check and the subsequent punches thrown by Arizona Coyotes forward Jay Beagle during Friday night's game.
Anaheim was leading 5-0 late in the third period when forward Trevor Zegras, a 21-year-old rookie of the year candidate, tried to pry a puck in the crease of Coyotes goalie Josef Korenar.
The 6-3, 210-pound Beagle took exception and hit Zegras in the back. Forward Troy Terry, who is 6-feet, 185 pounds, came to Zegras' defense and proceeded to get punched several times by the 36-year-old Beagle before he fell to the ice.
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Beagle was given a five-minute fighting major along with a game misconduct and a two-minute cross checking penalty. Terry got a two-minute roughing penalty.
"I think it's embarrassing, I think it's a bad look for the league, and for the player that did it, I think it's a bad look and he should be (expletive) punished," Zegras said. "[The puck] was 100% loose. I get that you're going to hit me in the back, but you don't punch a guy when he's down, especially a [31]-goal scorer in the NHL who's a superstar."
Zegras scored a lacrosse-style goal in the victory for Anaheim, which broke an 11-game losing streak. Zegras has 17 goals and 50 points this season. Beagle has one goal in 25 games during his 12th NHL season.
"[He's a] coward," Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins said, according to The Orange County Register. "It was cowardly. [Terry] was cut wide open and basically defenseless. Not a good sight. There was a scrum at the front of the net and usually that just turns into a scrum, and our 31-goal scorer is there. I've coached Troy Terry for four years now and I've never seen him in any kind of a fight. A guy who's got two goals is pounding away on him. It's not a good look."