If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Or, if you’re Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and you’re trying to draw a penalty, try, try, try, and try again. And again.
Lindell was sent off for embellishment at 16:21 of the second period along with Blues blueliner Robert Bortuzzo, who was called for crosschecking.
Referees for the game were Kelly Sutherland and Steve Kozari.
“He crossed at me hard,” said Lindell. “I wasn’t expecting him to come hard again. I’m not that kind of player. There’s nothing I can change anymore or affect what happened yesterday. I’m already focused on tomorrow.”
Bortuzzo deferred when asked about the penalty.
“That’s not my call,” Bortuzzo said of the matching penalties for crosschecking and embellishment. “The refs saw what they saw and made the call. I’m just trying to play on the edge. That’s a battle that happens a lot in the game and I think the refs did a good job. That’s about it.”
“Well, they called us both, so I guess we both did something there,” Lindell added.
One would think that both players learned their respective lessons.
Lindell, though, looked like he may have been softened up by the crosschecks. He went down easy late in the third on a play that led to the Blues’ game-winning goal. Whether it was another attempt at embellishment or simply Lindell no longer getting the benefit of the doubt from the officials, the Stars blueliner was completely out of the play.
With Lindell out, that left Patrick Maroon wide open for the game winner.
