The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced that Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended four games for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson during Boston’s 3-2 overtime win over the Panthers on Monday.
McAvoy was ejected from the game at the 9:28 of the third period, four seconds after delivering the hit.
The Panthers, who take on the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, did not practice yesterday. It remains to be seen how long Ekman-Larsson and Sam Bennett, who was injured in the second period, will be out.
The Charlotte Checkers are 4-3 after sweeping the Bridgeport Islanders over the weekend. Ludovic Waeber backstopped the Checkers to 5-2 win in his first AHL appearance on Friday. The Swiss netminder made 27 saves and Matt Kiersted, Rasmus Asplund, Lucas Carlsson, Jake Wise and Skyler Brind’Amour scored the goals. On Saturday, Spencer Knight posted a 23-save shutout in the 2-0 victory. Carlsson and Wise lit the lamp in the first period and Knight closed the door the rest of the way, much to the delight of the crowd of just over six thousand at Bojangles Coliseum. Charlotte will finish off its four-game homestand this weekend with a pair of games against the San Diego Gulls.
In last night’s NHL games, Elias Pettersson notched a hat trick to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the visiting Nashville Predators. Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots in the Los Angeles Kings helpful 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.