The Los Angeles Kings will be without their defensive anchor in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
Drew Doughty has been suspended one game for his high hit on Golden Knights forward William Carrier.
Doughty delivered what the NHL called an "illegal check to the head" of Carrier midway through the third period of Game 1 on Wednesday night. The league described it as a "high, forceful hit that makes Carrier's head the principal point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable."
Here's a look at it:
Le défenseur des @LAKings Drew Doughty aura une audience avec le Département de la sécurité des joueurs de la #LNH pour ce geste.
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 12, 2018
Mérite-t-il une suspension, selon vous? #NousSommesLesSeries pic.twitter.com/VawewXFVd3
The NHL added that while Doughty's first point of contact was Carrier's arm, Rule 48.1 (governing head shots) doesn't take into account what the first point of contact is, but rather the main point of contact. The league determined that the head took "the brunt of the impact."
Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said Thursday that Carrier is day to day with an injury he would only label as an upper-body ailment, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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