NHL suspends Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere for 2 games for late hit on Penguins’ Mark Friedman

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday it was issuing a two-game suspension to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for his hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mark Friedman during the previous evening’s game.

Gostisbehere was assessed a two-minute penalty for cross-checking after he shoved Friedman moments after Friedman added an empty-net goal with 4 minutes and 7 seconds left in what ended up a 7-3 Penguins’ victory in Philadelphia on Tuesday. In a message posted to the verified Twitter account of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, Gostisbehere’s hit was referred to as “boarding.”

Friedman fell and crashed into the boards. But he suffered no apparent injury on the play.

In a video announcement of the suspension, the league pointed to several factors that led to the suspension, chief among them that the hit was not delivered with intent to prevent a goal, that it was delivered well after the puck went into the net and that Friedman could not have been anticipating the hit.

The league referred to the hit as “a hard shove to the back (that) sent (Friedman) dangerously into the boards.”

Friedman was part of the Flyers’ organization before being waived and claimed by the Penguins in February. By chance, all four of the games Friedman has played for the Penguins have been against the Flyers — he suffered a concussion as the result of one of two hits he absorbed from former teammates in the second such game March 4.

Friedman missed more than a month because of that injury but since had been a healthy scratch until an injury to defenseman Mike Matheson compelled coach Mike Sullivan to re-insert Friedman into the lineup.

Friedman also was involved in a fight earlier during Tuesday’s game.

After the game, the Penguins mostly took a diplomatic tact toward the acts of aggression from the Flyers.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.