Jamie Benn Wins Art Ross In Most Dramatic Fashion Possible
By Josh Clark
Boy, does Jamie Benn know how to keep Stars fans faithful or what?
Saturday night, he did it in one of the most dramatic ways possible. Grabbing the NHL scoring title in a game deemed pointless. But it gets better.
With the Stars swiftly eliminated from the playoff race six days ago, most went into their three-month slumber, awaiting the free agent market opening and the Stars going to work. But Jamie Benn was determined to prove that there was still work to be done.
Sitting a few points here and there out of the league lead, Benn went on a beautiful spree through his final three games. Scoring three points in San Jose and three in Anaheim, Benn came into Saturday night just one point behind the league leaders, being Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.
With game 82 underway, Jamie Benn showed that his determination was not to be messed with. With two quick goals in the first period, Benn snagged the lead in the Art Ross race and brought all Stars fans up to cloud nine along with him.
As the game dragged on, it was entertaining to watch each shift Benn took part in. Seeing him always get to the front of the net looking for the deflection, while still being selfless and a prominent leader, it was a sight to see.
As the third period started up, people in the stands (including me) were seen anxiously checking their phones to see how Crosby and Tavares were faring in their own game 82’s. As Crosby went pointless to finish the year, it was clear that it was down to the two Team Canada stars in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Tavares gave Benn what looked like a death sentence as he grabbed a goal and an assist in the third period of the Islanders game against the Blue Jackets. Tavares took the 86-85 lead on Benn, with just twenty minutes left for Benn to act. Benn was pinned and forced to tally two more points, considering Tavares owned the tiebreaker between the two. I can only imagine how the Isles’ fan base was reacting at this point. Jamie Benn? Score four points in the final game and take the Art Ross away? A fifth round draft pick? Yeah, good luck with that.
“He is growing in leaps and bounds in every way, shape, or form as the face of this franchise.” -Daryl Reaugh
Well, Benn did not show much tenacity in the beginning of the third, and merely skated around and deferred the puck, trying to buy some insurance for the Stars who held a 2-1 lead at the time. Fans reverted to simply wanting a win on “Fan Appreciation Night” to help ease the pain of no playoffs. But Benn was not done. As he stepped on the ice for one of his final shifts with less than 2:30 to go, it was almost imminent that the Stars would not be making history.
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Puck Prose
Until the real Jamie Benn showed up. As the Predators evacuated their net, trying to close the 2-1 deficit, Benn received a pass at center ice and shot the puck a few feet to the right of the net. Fans cringed in their seats seeing a golden opportunity slip away and time anxiously tick on. But Benn was not to be denied just yet. He stole the puck away in his own zone and sent a deflected shot sailing into the empty net at the other end with just 2:05 left in the game.
Hats rained down as Benn had notched his second career and second of the season hat trick. It was a good enough “going away” present for the fans, but obviously not good enough for the Captain. Benn stayed on the ice for the rest of the game, hunting for #87 to claim the title. As chants of “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie” rang through the AAC, he dug in for the final push.
Jamie Benn’s 87th point was one of hilarity and pure awesomeness. As the Predators gained possession of the puck in their own zone and attempted to clear, Benn got his ankle in just the right spot to stall the puck and keep it in the zone. From there, Trevor Daley swooped in and took the puck down low, where he dished it off to Cody Eakin who sent it home.
The AAC erupted in joyful screams as Benn was greeted at the bench by stick taps, hugs, and high fives. The clock ran dry and the Stars took the 4-1 win, but more importantly, Jamie Benn capped 10 points in his final three games to become the first Star in the organization to ever win the Art Ross Trophy.
“I know it’s pretty disappointing that we set a goal at the start of the year and didn’t reach it and I know we’re all pretty upset. But it’s gonna give us a lot of motivation for the summer to come back next year and get back in the playoffs.” -Jamie Benn addressing the crowd
Benn accepted two awards from the Stars organization after the game and delivered a heart-filled speech to the fans still in attendance and on their feet. In it, Benn thanked the fans for their support throughout the season.
Jamie Benn. Hat-trick extraordinaire. Miracle worker. Natural born leader. What else can we add to the list?
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