Overview
- NHL Player Safety fined Benn $2,604.17, the most allowed under the CBA, for his Game 5 cross-check on Ryan Hartman.
- The play followed a high hit from Hartman that drew Benn’s retaliation. Officials called Benn for cross-checking and gave Hartman a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
- Minnesota won Game 5, 4-2, to take a 3-2 series lead, leaving Dallas needing a road win in Game 6 to avoid elimination.
- The Wild got key returns as Mats Zuccarello scored the opener and Yakov Trenin assisted on Michael McCarron’s deciding goal.
- In the playoffs, the league often prefers fines over suspensions because each missed game weighs more, which helps explain why Benn was not banned.