The NHL came down hard on Maxim Tsyplakov Thursday, suspending the Islanders rookie for three games after a dangerous hit that left Flyers forward Ryan Poehling with a head injury.
The hit happened Tuesday night when Tsyplakov crashed into Poehling as he was driving toward the net. Surprisingly, no penalty was called on the play.
It wasn’t the end of the drama. Flyers veteran Scott Laughton later took matters into his own hands, cross-checking Tsyplakov in the back after a play in the offensive zone. That move cost him too – the NHL slapped him with a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowed under league rules.
The suspension is a tough break for Tsyplakov, who’s been having a pretty impressive rookie season. The 26-year-old has put up 19 points in 44 games, good enough for sixth among all NHL rookies.
It’s been quite a journey for the undrafted winger. Before joining the Islanders last summer, he spent seven years climbing the ranks with Moscow Spartak in Russia’s KHL. Last season was his breakout year – 47 points in 65 games as a top-line player.
He’s made himself right at home in New York, averaging over 16 minutes of ice time per game – seventh most among all Islanders forwards.
The Isles will likely turn to Hudson Fasching to fill the gap in their middle-six forward group. Fasching hasn’t seen action since January 5th and is still looking for his first point of the season after 19 games.
The Flyers won Tuesday’s chippy contest, but both teams will be feeling the aftermath of this one for a while.
