Gerard Gallant Rips 'Clown' Peter DeBoer Before Golden Knights vs. Sharks Game 7

The hotly contested first-round NHL playoff matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks received a little more juice before the two sides squared off for their series-deciding Game 7 on Tuesday. 

During his Tuesday morning press conference, Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant called Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer a "clown."

That remark came after DeBoer accused Gallant on Monday of "talking to [his] players constantly" and that his alleged behavior was "ridiculous."

Gallant presented a defense to the claim.

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

Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun provided the full remarks:

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic provided commentary on Gallant after the presser:

And Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wondered how the comments would be perceived after the game:

Naturally, tensions are a bit high heading into the series finale, which perhaps led to emotions boiling over in between games.

First, the two sides just faced off in a grueling double-overtime Game 6, which the Sharks won 2-1 after goaltender Martin Jones made 58 saves. San Jose won on a short-handed goal, exacerbating the pain of defeat for Vegas.

Second, the Stanley Cup race is wide open after the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames, who earned the most points in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively, were knocked out in the first round.

Third, both franchises are also hungry for their first Stanley Cup after coming so close in recent years. The Golden Knights made the final in their first season last year before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games. The Sharks faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 Stanley Cup but lost in six games.

The dramatic Game 7 will take place at 10 p.m. ET at SAP Center in San Jose, California. NBC Sports will carry the national telecast.