Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant calls Sharks' Peter DeBoer 'clown'

April 23 (UPI) -- Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant called San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer a "clown" after DeBoer accused Gallant of trash-talking Sharks players from the bench during the teams' first-round playoff series.

Reporters asked DeBoer on Monday if the trash-talking between players had gradually decreased as the series went on. The Sharks coach responded with a jab at Gallant.

"There's still chatter," DeBoer told reporters. "Their coach is probably doing the most chatter. He's talking to our players constantly, which is something that I haven't seen before. That's probably where most of the chatter is coming from now. The players are playing."

DeBoer said one of the recipients of Gallant's alleged taunts was Sharks center Logan Couture, labeling Gallant's behavior as "ridiculous."

Gallant heard about his counterpart's comments and responded before Tuesday night's Game 7.

"I really don't want to talk about that, but I think I'm going to have to a little bit," Gallant told reporters. "For that clown to say that in the paper yesterday, it's not right.

"There might have been two incidents that happened, and I'll tell you both of the incidents. Logan Couture -- I thought that was an embellishment, so I'm yelling at the referee. Not Logan Couture. The other one, Game 2, Evander Kane is yelling at Ryan Reaves between the benches. Evander yells at me and says, 'Hey, coach, when are you going to send your big guy on the ice and play him more than four minutes?' And I said, 'He's played 10 minutes every game, and he's going to play a lot more.'"

Gallant said those were the only two instances in which he made comments about a Sharks player. The Couture incident occurred in Game 5 when Couture had teeth knocked out by a high stick from Jonathan Marchessault. The on-ice officials didn't initially call a penalty.

"If I'm going to be a chirper or a loudmouth, I think people know me as a coach and respect me as a coach," Gallant added. "If he's going to yap about that, that's a little un-classy for me."

The Sharks and Golden Knights face off in Game 7 at 10 p.m. ET at SAP Center in San Jose.