On Friday, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety came to a decision on Michael Rasmussen’s high-sticking on Boston forward David Krejci during Thursday night’s 5-1 loss, suspending the 23-year-old center for two games.
Rasmussen was in the process of finishing his check on Krejci, and as he continued to make contact, he lost control of his stick and struck Krejci in the head. Krejci would not return to the game due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. Two games seemed a bit steep when comparing Rasmussen’s high-stick to Washington star Evgeny Kuznetsov, who received a one-game suspension for an arguably more egregious incident.
The six-foot-six center has picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, scoring one goal and four assists through seven games. With forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Oskar Sundqvist, Jakub Vrana, and now Rasmussen all out of the lineup, Detroit will rely on their depth to step up. Joe Veleno played on the second line with Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond on Thursday and will likely move back to the center.
After practice on Friday, Derek Lalonde eluded to the possibility of playing with eleven forwards and seven defensemen, with Jordan Oesterle drawing in. Ahead of Thursday’s game in Boston, the Red Wings recalled Matt Luff and could potentially do the same in Rasmussen’s absence. With the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres coming into town in the next two games, the Red Wings will need others to step up with a depleted lineup.
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