Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct in loss – NBC Chicago
Hawks’ Alex Stalock sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct in loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock was ejected in the final minutes of Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, and it’s hard to blame him for feeling the way he did.
At 7:04 of the third period, Stars forward Luke Glendening scored a shorthanded goal to extend his team’s lead to 4-0, then bulldozed Stalock, who stretched a bit on the ice before returning. Blackhawks head athletic trainer Mike Gapski dealt with him in the crease, but Stalock, by then, looked fine and felt good enough to stay in the game.
Stalock was clearly unhappy with the lack of appeal and repeatedly expressed his frustration to officials about it. During the next TV break, he looked in their direction most of the time.
Later in the period, Stalock was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for continuing to chew on the official. He eventually received a game misconduct with 3:37 left in regulation, ending his night.
“It’s tough,” said Tyler Johnson, who ended a 14-game drought in the loss. “I don’t think it’s intentional. I know Glendening, I know he’s not that kind of player, so I’m not saying that. But it’s a tough game.
“Obviously Stalock has the issues he’s had this year that he’s been dealt with, it’s heartbreaking to see but it’s just one of those things that I don’t know if there’s really anything that we could have done other than make the PP a little better and not allow that to happen. It’s just an unhappy game all around. It’s hard to see.
Stalock, of course, has missed part-time twice this season, once due to a concussion and the other due to eye malfunction. The first incident occurred on November 1 when New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas knocked him down early in the first period. Cizikas was given a major misconduct and a five-minute game for interference with a goaltender.
So you can understand why Stalock was so upset about this, even though it wasn’t a malicious game.
“I don’t know exactly what the rule is,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “I know he was a bit out of the crease, but he tries to play with the puck. Glendening also plays with the puck. I’m not sure what the rule was, but I understand his frustration with what he been through this year, getting run over multiple times and having different issues, whether it’s a concussion or different neck issues or whatever.
“Certainly we will always support our goalkeeper, because he is a fighter. He does not dive, pretending that he is injured. He has been crushed quite heavily this year a few times, so we really want to protect the goalkeepers from goal and if the calls aren’t there to protect it, we need to do a better job.”
Click here to subscribe to the Blackhawks Talk podcast for free.
Download
Download MyTeams today!
NBC Chicago
