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Colorado Avalanche forward suspended for Viscous hit vs. Lightning

Colorado Avalanche forward suspended for Viscous hit vs. Lightning

The Colorado Avalanche are already down numerous forwards, but are losing another to a suspension. After a hearing on charges against Tampa Bay Lightning forward Erik Cernak, Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg was suspended for two games.

In the second frame against the Lightning, 24-year-old Avalanche forward Cernak shattered the boards with a powerful hit. Stienburg hit Cernak in the head with his shoulder.

Cernak’s head bounced off the glass after the hit and had to leave the game.

Stienbrug received a minor two-minute penalty for attacking and an additional ten minutes for misconduct.

If the Avalanche are fully healthy, they shouldn’t even have Stienburg in their NHL lineup. Due to injuries to key strikers, they had to use him for most of the season.

Stienburg has appeared in eight games so far this year and averaged just over six minutes per game. These were Stienburg’s first games in his career and he hasn’t scored a point yet.

The Avalanche will have to play two more games and another forward due to Stienburg’s suspension. Defenseman Oliver Kylington already played on the wing against the Lightning and will probably have to continue playing against the Nashville Predators.

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