ST. LOUIS — Head coaches Pete DeBoer of the Sharks and the Blues’ Ken Hitchcock engaged in a interesting back and forth about the officiating during Monday’s off-day media availability.
For the second straight day, DeBoer referenced the Blues’ propensity for penalties. He was asked about David Backes tugging on Joe Thornton’s beard and Steve Ott being a pest to the Sharks.
“We’re relying on the officials to do their job,” DeBoer said. “St. Louis is one of the most penalized teams in the league, regular season and playoffs.