Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Capitals' Evgeny Kuznetsov suspended one game for high-sticking

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Steven Ellis | Last updated 10/18/22

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has been given a one-game suspension after high-sticking Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kyle Burroughs on Monday.

The incident occurred after Kuznetsov was knocked down following a scoring play. After getting up, he appeared to have intentionally swung his stick at Burroughs’ face and then cross-checked him while he was laying on the ice.

Kuznetsov will miss Washington’s contest against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and is eligible to return on Saturday against Los Angeles.

Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended for one game for High-sticking Vancouver’s Kyle Burroughs. https://t.co/gzZyQma5Gn
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 18, 2022

Kuznetsov was fined $5,000 for high-sticking Florida’s Noel Acciari in a post-whistle scrum during Washington’s first-round playoff series against Florida last season. Back in September of 2019, Kuznetsov was given a three-game ban for cocaine use while representing Russia at the World Championship earlier that year.

Kuznetsov has four assists in as many games to start the season. He’s fresh off of one of the best seasons of his career, a 78-point campaign, and was going to carry much of the team’s load this season with Nicklas Backstrom on the sidelines.

It’s a tough blow, but luckily for the Caps, it won’t be for long.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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