ST. LOUIS — Oskar Sundqvist is facing a potential suspension in the Stanley Cup Final after being summoned for a disciplinary hearing by the NHL’s department of player safety.
The St. Louis Blues forward knocked Matt Grzelcyk out of Game 2 at 17:57 of the first period by delivering a hard hit into the numbers. Grzelcyk stayed down on the TD Garden ice for more than a minute and was taken to hospital for evaluation, according to Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy.
There was no immediate word on his condition.
"He got hit from behind — that’s what was called," Cassidy told reporters after a 3-2 overtime win by the Blues on Wednesday. "His head got driven into the glass."
Sundqvist is listed as six inches taller and 35 pounds heavier than Grzelcyk, one of the smaller defencemen in the NHL. The Swede will have a hearing with league disciplinarian George Parros on Thursday afternoon.
Game 3 goes Saturday night at Enterprise Center.
The Blues significantly upped the physicality in Wednesday’s game — outhitting Boston 50-31 — but the Sundqvist hit on Grzelcyk was one that left the Bruins players calling for a suspension.
"I don’t think that’s a hit we want in our game," said David Backes. "It’s from behind, elevated, into his head, into the glass. If that’s a two-minute penalty, I think there’s going to be a shortage of defencemen in this series by the end of it."
The series is tied 1-1.
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