Zach takes flak for hack

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This article was published 02/02/2015 (4193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A contrite Zach Bogosian vowed Sunday to do a better job of keeping his emotions in check on the ice.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman said 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 much of the rest of the game — should never have happened.

“It was just a bad penalty. I let my emotions get the best of me,” Bogosian said Sunday afternoon following his team’s optional skate at the 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 Maurice was sending him a message by benching him, Bogosian said the answer was obvious. “Well, yeah. Somebody has to be held accountable. It was 100 per cent 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 — one in the first period and then a second midway through the second period in what was his first shift back on the ice.

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

Informed 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 Sunday morning before the club flew to Calgary Sunday afternoon. The Jets play the Flames in Calgary tonight 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. They continue to hold down the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Flames — who hold the second spot — are within three points of Winnipeg and have a game in hand.

‘It was just a bad penalty. I let my emotions get the best of me’

— Zach Bogosian

“The worst thing we can do is start hanging our heads and trying to find blame,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “Now is the time when we need to stick together and get ourselves out of this. And part of that is staying positive and staying together as a team.”

——

Bogosian’s difficulties on Saturday came on the same day Maurice switched his playing partner from Toby Enstrom to Ben Chiarot.

Bogosian — who played just 9:34 of total ice time Saturday because of the benching — couldn’t help but laugh when he was asked how he enjoyed playing with Chiarot.

“We only had a couple shifts together but he’s good, he’s a good player. He’s steady back there,” said Bogosian. “Maybe (Monday) we’ll try and string a few more shifts together.”

The other new defensive pairing on Saturday saw Enstrom playing in tandem with Dustin Byfuglien. That’s a reunification of an old pairing and Enstrom said Sunday he’s been impressed with the evolution of Byfuglien’s game.

“His game since I played with him a few years ago has gotten better and better as a defenceman,” said Enstrom.

“He’s a fun guy to play with — there’s a lot of stuff going on around him.”

——

Among the things “going on around” Byfuglien Saturday night was a third-period melee in which Byfuglien at one point appeared to mime biting a Dallas Stars player during the fracas.

Maurice made light of the episode. “With all the mumps going around, I wouldn’t have taken the risk kissing anybody’s knuckles,” Maurice quipped, referencing a mini-mumps epidemic that has gone through the NHL this season.

“Wash your hands, brush your teeth and move on.”

——

While he was jocular on Sunday, the Hockey Night in Canada cameras on Saturday caught Maurice in a moment during the first period during which he was anything but happy — body-slamming the glass behind the Jets bench and appearing to utter some choice words for his bench.

So, what was that all about?

“I’ve been told I do that (slam the glass) and I have no recollection of it,” Maurice replied.

And as for what message he was delivering his players in that moment?

“You’re not delivering a message, you’re stating a fact. Directly. Certain things about their level.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek