Patrick Roy Blasts Mikko Rantanen After Game Between Islanders and Stars
New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy had a tense moment in the game against the Dallas Stars, launching a diatribe against forward Mikko Rantanen. The situation unfolded after a play in which Rantanen was ejected for injuring Islanders defenseman Alex Romanov. With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Rantanen made contact with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield and pushed Romanov from behind. The impact caused Romanov to crash into the boards, and he was subsequently assisted off the ice. The Islanders reported that Romanov did not need to be taken to the hospital. Rantanen received a 5-minute major penalty for the action, which led to his ejection from the game. The player is the Stars’ top scorer, with 27 points in 20 games. As Rantanen was leaving the game, microphones caught Roy yelling at him, apparently saying: “You’re not going to finish that damn game,” possibly in reference to a future matchup between both teams in New York.Roy stated after the game that Rantanen’s action was “disrespectful” towards his team. “I was in Colorado when he was drafted there. It’s not his style. But at the same time, that shouldn’t be part of our game,” he added. The NHL’s Player Safety Department will review the play to determine potential additional sanctions. Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan offered a different perspective on the play.I hope it’s okay. Right now, I don’t know exactly what it is. But all I’m going to say is that when you see the number, you have to avoid it. Everyone knows it. You’re not going for the guy.
Patrick Roy
Rantanen’s ejection was part of an epic end to the game between the Islanders and the Stars. It looked like Dallas had tied the score with a goal by Wyatt Johnston with 0.1 seconds left, but the NHL situation room initiated a review for goaltender interference. The NHL determined that Dallas’ Jason Robertson prevented David Rittich from playing his position in the crease before Johnston’s goal. The Stars captain, Jamie Benn, who was playing his first game of the season due to an injury, commented: “I think Robo was pushed, but we can’t do anything about it. It was Toronto’s decision.” Gulutzan expressed that he believed the Stars had a chance of winning the review, as the decision on the ice had been a goal.If you watch the play, I think Mayfield holds Rants and they actually get their skates tangled. So Rants also goes off balance. If you played the game and you’re off balance, you usually put your hands down.
Glen Gulutzan
