Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen has been suspended two games for high-sticking David Krejci on Thursday night, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.
Krejci suffered an upper-body injury on the play and did not return to the game, which Player Safety cites as part of its reasoning for the suspension. Krejci will miss at least Friday night's game in Columbus as a result of the injury.
It's unclear if it was actually the high-stick that caused Krejci's injury, or if it was Rasmussen's initial hit, which appeared to include a butt-end into Krejci's arm or side.
Player Safety says they agree with Rasmussen's assertion that he was not trying to injure Krejci, but that it was nonetheless a play that involved forceful contact to the head.
Pavel Zacha is expected to shift to center in Krejci's absence Friday, while Jakub Lauko has been recalled from Providence to round out the forward lineup.
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