Penguins C Malkin suspended one game for high sticking

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin was suspended for one game due to a high-sticking incident during Monday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday. Malkin will miss Wednesday's home game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Malkin received a match penalty for the high sticking in the third period on Monday. After a battle for the puck, Philadelphia's Michael Raffl delivered a left-handed punch to the back of Malkin's head, and Malkin responded by wildly swinging his stick at Raffl. The stick made only glancing contact with Raffl but that wasn't a factor in the decision to hand out a suspension, according to the NHL.

"This is not a reckless play where a spinning player loses some amount of control over his stick," the Department of Player Safety stated during a video description of the incident. "This is an intentional stick swing directed at an opponent with force at a dangerous height and for the purposes of retaliation." Malkin will forfeit $51,075.27 in salary. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Raffl was not disciplined. --Field Level Media