The tension in Thursday night’s game flared just as play was about to resume.
Dallas captain Jamie Benn took a swing at Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele during the third period, with the Jets leading 3-0 and Dallas struggling to keep pace.
Benn and Jets’ Brandon Tanev each received two-minute penalties for roughing, along with an additional ten-minute misconduct penalty. Scheifele, meanwhile, was penalized for his involvement.
This commotion began around 6:30 left in the game when the teams were making line changes.
In a moment captured on TNT, Benn was seen standing over Scheifele by the Dallas bench while officials attempted to break up the fray, at which point Tanev intervened from behind.
Both players got caught up in the tussle, leading to other teammates joining in and escalating the situation.
Things got messy when Tanev grabbed Benn around the head, causing Benn to tumble to the ice.
As tensions mounted, some players tangled further, creating a chaotic backdrop as they engaged with Scheifele.
When Scheifele hit the ice, a referee stumbled as well, adding to the commotion.
Analyst Darren Pang noted the physical nature of the exchange, commenting that it was quite a scene as the players pushed and shoved.
However, as Scheifele attempted to retaliate after getting back on his feet, a referee held him back to maintain control.
The crowd at the Canada Life Centre reacted strongly as things heated up, signaling their feelings about the situation.
Jets coach Scott Arniel expressed dissatisfaction with the way everything transpired, feeling that they should not have been penalized so heavily from that skirmish.
On the other hand, Stars coach Peter DeBoer brushed off the incident, mentioning it was just a part of an emotional series where tensions can run high.
In the end, the Jets managed to score again in the closing minutes, securing a win to avoid elimination. The series will continue in Dallas for Game 6 on Saturday at 8 PM.
Whoever emerges victorious will face the Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.
As Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers put it, they definitely wanted to step up their game and carry that momentum into the next matchup.
