Things got ugly for the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, and the blemishes weren’t limited to a 6-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights alone.
With frustrations clearly boiling over, Evander Kane was ejected following a heated series of events:
- Kane went low in hitting Tomas Nosek with a questionable hit. As it was, it would probably be the sort of infraction that the Department of Player Safety may take an extra look at.
- The 27-year-old winger really lost it, eventually being ejected from the game for “abuse of officials” and abusive language. It seemed like Kane needed to be restrained during the exchange.
- He finished the night with 26 penalty minutes. While there was a high-sticking fraction not long before that, it mainly came from that outburst.
- Oh yeah, head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t last much longer in that game, as he was ejected for jawing at officials less than a minute later.
Take a look at that questionable hit, via NBC Sports California:
Frustration boiling over for the Sharks pic.twitter.com/3fowpOPe6r
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 25, 2018
You can see some of Kane’s agitating exchange in this GIF.
Again, it wasn’t just Kane who ended up being ejected, as DeBoer also got thrown out. DeBoer’s side of the story was pretty amusing, as the Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports.
“I didn’t even swear, I just asked him, did that feel good kicking Evander out under these circumstances?” DeBoer said. “That was enough I guess. I guess he wanted another victim.”
Ah yes, just like everyone else, DeBoer had the wherewithal to use the word “circumstances” during a moment of rage and passion. Totally normal!
DeBoer’s night ended early, in a way that felt a lot like an MLB manager throwing a fit and getting ejected from a blowout loss, almost making you wonder if it was on purpose. DeBoer spent some extra time on the Sharks’ bench before the second period even began, so it was an unusual night for San Jose’s head coach.
The #SJSharks head coach is (understandably) not happy. pic.twitter.com/DXiLNNrN5h
— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) November 25, 2018
Maybe this is just one of those weeks for the Sharks. As you likely remember, the Sharks aren’t that far removed from Antoine Roussel biting Marc-Edouard Vlasic, inspiring a $5K fine and countless jokes about eating pickles.
Could Kane and/or DeBoer face a suspension or fines? The Department of Player Safety will need to consider all ... circumstances.
MORE: Your 2018-19 NHL on NBC TV schedule
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.