'He made a mistake': Stars back Benn after costly ejection

DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars defended captain Jamie Benn after he was ejected in the first period of their devastating 4-0 loss in Game 3, which put the Vegas Golden Knights one win away from a Western Conference Finals sweep.

With his team already trailing, 1-0, in the first two minutes of Tuesday night's game, Benn knocked Vegas captain Mark Stone to the ice with a check. With Stone on his back, Benn drove his stick down into Stone's jaw area while falling to the ice himself. The on-ice officials gave Benn a match penalty for cross-checking.

They reviewed the play on a tablet near the penalty boxes and determined it was a correct call. Per NHL Rule 59, a cross-checking match penalty can be…