COLUMBUS (AP) — NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov has been suspended for Game 3 of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-round series against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena Sunday night.
Kucherov was suspended for boarding Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara late in Tampa Bay’s 5-1 loss in Game 2 to trail 2-0 in the series.
Some teams will be fighting for their postseason relevance in Game 3 on Sunday.
Conventional thinking has been thrown on its head in these NHL playoffs.
The surprising Blue Jackets beat the Lightning two straight in Tampa.
St. Louis beat Winnipeg two straight on the Jets’ home ice. And the playoff-seasoned Pittsburgh Penguins are down 2-0 to the New York Islanders as that series shifts back to the Steel City.