Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is suspended one game for high-sticking Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kyle Burroughs Monday night.
Kuznetsov had a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday before the punishment was handed out.
The department said Kuznetsov pulled back his stick and swung it purposely at Burroughs’ face after getting knocked down. The contact was enough for Burroughs to fall to the ice hurt, where Kuznetsov gave an extra cross-check. He received a minor high-sticking penalty.
Vancouver led 3-2 at the time, but Washington came back to win the game 6-4.
“This is not a careless use of the stick. Rather, this is an intentional stick swing towards an opponent that makes eye contact,” the department said.
The department said Kuznetsov did not intend to hit Burroughs that high, but the swing was still purposeful.
The 30-year-old Caps center was previously fined $5,000 for high-sticking Florida Panthers’ forward Noel Acciari last May in Round 1 of the playoffs.
The one-game suspension means the Capitals will be without Kuznetsov for Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. He can return on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
Kuznetsov tallied four assists in Washington’s 2-2 start to the season.
Kuznetsov was centering Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie on the second line but was on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Conor Sheary when he took the swing.
Kuznetsov and Connor Brown (lower-body injury) both missed Tuesday’s practice. Brown left Monday’s game after receiving a hit from Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen. He’ll be re-evaluated before the matchup in Ottawa.
Lars Eller and Nic Dowd are the likely choices at center to move up to the second line for the game against Ottawa. The Senators are 0-2 heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Boston Bruins. Ottawa’s second line has Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux on the wings.
