Zegras says he needs to change approach to refs
Project Trevor Zegras, one of the foundational pieces in the Ducks’ ambitious rebuilding program, remains a distinct work in progress.
The Ducks’ leading scorer was benched for the second half of the second period after taking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
It’s been a pattern for a while and Zegras understands it has to change. On the play in question, Zegras said he was yelling at himself, not the referee, when the penalty was assessed.
“But he thought I was yelling at him,” said Zegras, who acknowledged he needs to work on developing a better relationship with NHL referees and linesmen.
“When the relationship with the officials isn’t great, there’s no buffer or warning or anything like that. It’s something I’ve got to work on . ... It’s a pretty (bad) way to take a penalty, especially in these tight games we’re trying to win.”
Recognizing he needs to change his behavior is an important first step for Zegras. Part two is getting the actions to match the words. It’s a balancing act — dialing back his natural impulses but still being the emotionally charged Trevor Zegras, a fundamental part of his hockey DNA.
Zegras might not lead the Ducks in penalty minutes, but he’s giving the two players ahead of him, Max Comtois and Sam Carrick, a decent run.
“It’s not going great,” Zegras said Thursday. “I think sometimes I get pretty emotional out there and I don’t handle it the best way. It’s something I’ve been working on. It’s something I’ve been trying to get better at.
“It’s definitely affecting the way I play. Affecting the team. It’s just stupid to take penalties like that. I deserve every second that I sat on the bench after I did that. It’s a terrible habit that I’ve had for a long time.”
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins is well aware of the problem and also that there are no easy solutions.
“He’s an emotional kid,” Eakins said. “He’s invested in winning. He’s highly competitive. But we’ve talked about this before. He’s trying to be better with the referees. The last thing I want to do as a coach is put a guy on the bench because of turnovers, or not competing or yapping at refs. We need those guys on the ice to play and be part of the process of winning. But we can’t move forward with accountability and development and ownership if we’re just going to look the other way.”
Zegras wasn’t the only player singled out. Eakins also sat Mason McTavish, Comtois and Brett Leason for a big chunk of the latter half of the first period against the Capitals. Not only as a message being sent to the individuals but also to the group as a whole, Eakins said.