Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov will have a hearing Tuesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for a high stick on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kyle Burroughs. The incident occurred in the second period of Monday’s game.
Kuznetsov crashed the net looking to score but got stuffed by Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko. Kuznetsov got knocked over by Burroughs. After a shove from Burroughs, Kuznetsov swung his stick high with the blade hitting Burroughs in the face.
Kuznetsov was given a two-minute minor for high-sticking. The Canucks coincidentally scored on the ensuing power play that extended Vancouver’s lead to 4-2.
After the score, Kuznetsov returned to the bench, pointing himself to take the blame for the inexplicable penalty.
The Capitals rallied to win the game 6-4 behind four-third period goals. Kuznetsov registered three assists in the win. However, a potential suspension overshadows his strong performance.
Kuznetsov has been suspended once in his career — a three-game suspension for off-ice conduct in 2019. He got fined twice, including for a high stick last season on Noel Acciari of the Florida Panthers at the time.
