Jets’ Zach Bogosian regrets slashing penalty on Saturday that got him benched

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This article was published 01/02/2015 (3881 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Zach Bogosian says he has to be better.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman said Sunday that an undisciplined slashing penalty he took in the first period of his team’s 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars Saturday night – which resulted in head coach Paul Maurice benching Bogosian for most of the rest of the game – shouldn’t have happened.

“It was just a bad penalty. I let my emotions get the best of me,” Bogosian said Sunday following his team’s optional skate at MTS Centre.

“Sometimes those things happen. And the minute it happens, you wish it didn’t happen. I will be better (Monday) night.”

Asked if he felt like Maurice was sending him a message by benching him Saturday night, Bogosian said the answer was obvious. “Well yeah. Somebody has to be held accountable. It was one hundred percent on me. I screwed up – it was a bad penalty.

“I’d probably be a bit surprised if I didn’t get benched.”

Bogosian actually took two slashing penalties in Saturday’s loss at MTS Centre – one in the first period and then a second midway through the second period in what was his very first shift back on the ice.

While the Jets killed off the first Bogosian penalty but yielded a go-ahead goal to Dallas with Bogosian sitting out the second slashing call, it was the first penalty that angered Maurice more because he felt it was undisciplined.

Informed on Sunday that Bogosian had faced reporters moments earlier and took full responsibility, Maurice seemed pleased. “That’s the way to handle it as a man. Everyone is going to make mistakes. Everyone is going to have that night… I have no issue with Zach’s effort. He competes hard, he’s in good shape, he works hard in practice.

“It’s just that he was the guy who took the penalty at that time. We don’t need that in our game…

“He handled it right. Hopefully none of us has to handle it again.”

Bogosian was among a handful of Jets players who skated in an optional practice at MTS Centre Sunday morning before the club flies to Calgary Sunday afternoon. The Jets play the Flames in Calgary Monday night before moving on to Vancouver, where they will face the Canucks Tuesday night.

The Jets are riding a three-game losing streak heading into this two-game road trip. The Jets continue to hold down the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, but the Flames – who hold the second wild-card spot – are within three points of Winnipeg and have a game in hand on the Jets heading into Monday.