Stars-Wild got a bit more heated during Tuesday's Game 5, as Wild winger Marcus Foligno was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for a knee on Stars center Radek Faksa.
Faksa took a scary fall and was tended to by the Stars medical staff, before he was eventually helped off the ice.
This isn't Foligno's first run-in with the NHL for errant knees. He was handed a two-game suspension last season for throwing a knee at the Jets' Adam Lowry.
MORE: The difference between a match penalty and major penalty in hockey, explained
The circumstances, of course, are very different, as Foligno's knee on Faksa was within game flow, rather than the incident with Lowry, which was during a fight.
Marcus Foligno has received a 5 minute Major and a Game Misconduct for kneeing on Radek Faksa. pic.twitter.com/3BdvyeThhr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 26, 2023
NHL fans were divided on whether or not this particular hit warranted an ejection, but things may have been exacerbated by Faksa's clear injury after he went spinning to the ice.
MORE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar suspended for hit on Kraken forward
The hit came just two minutes into the game, and the Stars immediately capitalized, with Tyler Seguin scoring a power play goal eight seconds into the five-minute major.
Foligno has complained about officiating in this series already, with him protesting two penalties in Game 4, both of which resulted in Seguin power play goals.
"It's a joke. It doesn't make any sense," he said to reporters following the Game 4 loss.
This probably isn't going to help his feeling about the officiating any.
"It took some life out of us for sure, with everything that's gone on," Wild coach Dean Evason said after the game. "And all the whining and stuff about everything. We disagree with it. We don't think he changed his path. He could've changed his path and probably stepped in hard if anything their guy changed path ... Moose does not move. Doesn't move his legs. Nothing."
Foligno, for his part, also disagreed with the call.
“Major, I don’t know," he told reporters, per Michael Russo. I don’t agree with it obviously. I’m keeping my lane and unfortunately we both hit in that leg area. I won’t say it’s a knee on knee. I hit him in the upper area. He’s rotating out of the way. I don’t move my leg at all. If you want to give me a penalty, for sure. But a five-minute and a game misconduct to throw us out of here, I just don’t agree with that.”
Why was Marcus Foligno ejected?
Foligno was ejected for throwing a knee at Faksa, who was already off-balance and crumpled to the ice as a result.
Initially, Foligno was assessed a major penalty. Per the NHL rulebook, a major for kneeing is automatically accompanied by a game misconduct.
The game misconduct is accompanied by an ejection, hence Foligno's ousting.
MORE: Latest updates on Jets forward Mark Scheifele
Will Marcus Foligno be suspended?
Foligno will undoubtedly have a hearing with NHL Player Safety Wednesday, where there will be a determination on whether or not he will be suspended.
NHL suspensions are always hard to figure, particularly in cases such as this. It will depend on if the office believes the hit was made with the knowledge that Faksa was already off-balance.