Not only are Tampa Bay Lightning in a stunning 2-0 hole to the Blue Jackets as their opening round series heads to Columbus, but the Bolts could be without their best player when they hit the ice for Game 3...and possibly beyond.
That's because Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov may find himself with a suspension as the result of an illegal hit he threw in the third period of Friday's Game 2 loss. As Tampa Bay trailed 5-1 with under five minutes to go, Kucherov tripped Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara and then delivered a dangerous follow-up hit on Nutivaara.
Kucherov was handed a two-minute minor for tripping, a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct as a result of the sequence. But he also could be in line for supplemental discipline, as the league's Department of Player Safety announced Friday night that Kucherov would have a hearing for the hit.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov will have a hearing tomorrow for Boarding Columbus’ Markus Nutivaara.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 13, 2019
Kucherov could be in hot water considering Nutivaara was in a defenseless position when the hit was delivered, and the principle point of contact may have been the head.
The hit is somewhat similar to the one that Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri threw during last year's playoff series against the Bruins. That hit resulted in a three-game suspension for Kadri, who has more of a history than Kucherov.
A suspension for Kucherov would be a massive blow for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning, who are desperate to climb back into the series after two stunning losses to Columbus. Kucherov may very well be this year's Hart Trophy-winner as league MVP, as he led the league with 128 points during the regular season.
Kucherov has zero points through the first two games of the series.
