UPDATE (Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. ET): The NHL has suspended Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang one game for his late, high hit on Washington Capitals winger Marcus Johansson during Monday night’s Penguins win.
Letang will miss Game 4 of the teams’ second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Pittsburgh Penguins took down the Washington Capitals on Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series, but the Pens might be without their best defenseman when they return to the ice for Game 3.
Kris Letang was assessed a two-minute minor for interference late in the first period for a questionably late, dangerously high hit on Marcus Johansson that temporarily knocked the Capitals winger out of the game.
Letang said after the game he didn’t deliver the check with intent to injure, but Johansson, who returned to the game after sitting out the remainder of the first period, viewed the play differently.
“He obviously leaves his feet and hits me in the head,” Johansson told reporters, via The Washington Post. “I mean, that’s the kind of play you want out of the league. It doesn’t look good.”
This Penguins-Capitals series has featured no shortage of borderline hits. The NHL fined Washington forward Tom Wilson for going knee-to-knee on Conor Sheary in Game 1, and Caps defenseman Brooks Orpik earned himself a three-game suspension for his high hit on Olli Maata in Game 2.
“(Johansson) was hit in the head,” Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom told reporters. “Left his feet. Brooks Orpik got three games. We’ll see what this is.”
Letang already has avoided supplemental discipline once this postseason, going unpunished for a slash to the face of New York Rangers winger Viktor Stalberg in Round 1.
“We’ll see how the league responds,” Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin told reporters. “If it’s fair, maybe he gets three games, or something. I don’t know. It’s not my call — or our call.”
The Penguins scored two goals in the first period of Game 3 and another in the second, then withstood a third-period Capitals rally to emerge with a 3-2 win. Game 4 is set for Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
