PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has been suspended one game for high-sticking Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl late in Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win over the Flyers on Monday night.
The league announced the suspension on Tuesday following a hearing between Malkin and the league’s department of player safety.
Raffl and Malkin were tangled up in the neutral zone in the third period with Raffl engaging Malkin physically while Raffl battled for the puck. When the two players broke apart, Raffl punched Malkin in the back of the head and Malkin retaliated by swinging his stick in Raffl’s direction. Malkin received a 10-minute match penalty for the infraction.
The league called Malkin’s swing “intentional.”
The Penguins host Edmonton on Wednesday night.
