A Dallas Stars player has a lighter wallet after an incident in Game 2. Stars forward Jamie Benn has been fined $5,000, the maximum amount allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for high-sticking Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane in the second period of Game 2.
The fine was for the following incident in Game 2. Midway through the second period, Jake Oettinger froze the puck and Andrew Mangiapane was shoved behind the net by Ryan Suter into the netting of the Stars net. Jamie Benn, after making sure Oettinger had the puck at the end of the sequence, saw that Mangiapane’s face was pressed into the netting and poked him through the net a couple times in the face with his stick.
Predatory? Nope. Injurious? Nope. A hockey play? Also nope, which is probably why Benn got fined. Calling it high-sticking is obviously a stretch, since Benn’s stick never got above waist height, but you don’t want players doing that to each other.
Game 4 goes Monday night in Dallas. The Stars lead the series 2-1.
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