The verdict is in and Oskar Sundqvist now knows his fate.
The St. Louis Blues center was suspended one game for his hit on Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in the first period of Boston’s Game 2 overtime loss Wednesday night, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday night. Sundqvist was assessed a two-minute penalty on the play.
Grzelcyk went to an area hospital where he was evaluated and now is in concussion protocol. He did not travel to St. Louis on Thursday for Games 3 and 4.
The DoPS explained their reasoning, saying Sundqvist had “time to react to Grzelcyk’s movements and react(ed) by cutting back across Grzelcyk’s body. This movement results in a more forceful and direct hit to Grzelcyk’s upper back and head, which then drives Grzelcyk’s head into the glass.”
They also said he had time to adjust his hit or avoid it entirely. You can hear the entire explanation in the video below:
