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Calgary Flames coach Ryan Huska expressed frustration over Martin Pospisil's penalty, which eventually contributed to the Flames' 4-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.
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With the score tied at 2-2 in the third period, Pospisil received a two-minute minor penalty for high-sticking Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm.
The penalty proved decisive, as the Oilers capitalized on the powerplay, with Zach Hyman scoring, followed by Mattias Janmark, leading to Edmonton's victory.
Huska emphasized that such late penalties are unacceptable and acknowledged Posposil's need to play with an edge but stressed that it shouldn't come at the expense of discipline. He said (via Sportsnet):
“It’s not okay. Hey, he’s the type of player who has to play with an edge, but it’s not a reckless-type style that he has to play, because at the end of the day points are so valuable. It’s so hard to win in this league that if you overstep your boundary a little bit it costs a team.
“So, I think he understands it, and he’s got to really work to be a better player in that regard for us.”
The loss marked the fifth in the last six games for the Calgary Flames. They sit fifth in the Pacific Division with 13 points and are 15th in the standings.
"It feels pretty bad": Martin Pospisil on conceding penalty for Calgary Flames
After the game, Martin Pospisil expressed his disappointment over the penalty he conceded, acknowledging that it feels bad, especially, as he had intended to be cautious. Pospisil said:
“It feels pretty bad, especially when I tried to be careful on that kind of penalty. I tried to lift his stick and it was a high stick, ya. “If feels bad and it can’t happen, especially in a tied game. I have to learn from it.”
The 24-year-old Slovak winger was drafted No. 105 overall by the Flames in the 2019 NHL draft. Pospisil is into his second season with the club and has recorded 17 penalty minutes, in addition to five points (one goal and four assists) in 12 games this season.
The Calgary Flames return to action against the Montreal Canadiens next on Tuesday at Centre Bell. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.
