Predators’ Watson suspended 2 games for boarding Avs’ Toninato

Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been suspended two games for boarding Colorado Avalanche forward Dominic Toninato on Saturday, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

As the video shows, Watson was assessed a major and a game misconduct at the time of the incident. The check was deemed to be through the numbers and overly forceful, thereby meriting further discipline.

Watson will forfeit $11,827.96 in salary.

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Flyers’ Gudas suspended 10 games

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas has been suspended 10 games for a slashing incident involving Mathieu Perreault of the Winnipeg Jets, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Gudas is considered a repeat offender under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. His most recent ban came in October 2016, when he was suspended six games for an interference play involving Austin Czarnik of the Boston Bruins.

Gudas will forfeit $408,536.60 in salary as part of his 10-game suspension.

The 27-year-old missed Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames while he awaited his hearing. The contest will count toward his 10-game suspension. He's eligible to return Dec. 12 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gudas has recorded two assists and 57 penalty minutes in 17 games this season.

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Avs’ Yakupov on pace to smash career high in goals

Sometimes all a player needs is a fresh start.

That's what the Colorado Avalanche offered Nail Yakupov in the form of a one-year, $875,000 contract in the offseason.

The 2012 first overall pick was traded by the Oilers to the Blues prior to last season, and he contributed only three goals and six assists in 40 games for St. Louis.

Seemingly on his last legs at the NHL level, the 24-year-old is making good on his opportunity with last year's last-place team.

Yakupov scored during Sunday's win over the Red Wings, bringing his goal total to six through 19 games. That's not groundbreaking production, but it puts him on pace for 26 goals should he appear in all 82 games - a nine-goal improvement on his previous career high of 17 (scored in 48 games as a rookie in 2012-13).

The six goals he has now would put him third on the Oilers, behind only Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

His six goals have come on 33 shots, meaning a shooting percentage of 18.1, well above his 9.9 percent career average. Yakupov may level off, but he's being given an opportunity to succeed in Colorado, and even 20 goals would be a win for both player and team.

At any rate, Yakupov is on pace for a strong season, along with some job security and a raise on his next deal. He'll be a restricted free agent in 2018.

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Flyers to host Penguins in 2019 Stadium Series

The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins will renew hostilities in the great outdoors next season, as the two rivals have been selected to compete in the 2019 Stadium Series.

The game will take place Feb. 23, 2019 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, home to the NFL's Eagles. The stadium seats nearly 70,000 fans.

The Flyers and Penguins linked up as part of last year's Stadium Series at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The Penguins came away with a 4-2 victory.

Related: 5 teams we'd like to see in the Winter Classic

The game marks the fourth outdoor game for the Flyers and fifth for the Penguins.

On Saturday, the NHL announced the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks will face off in the 2019 Winter Classic.

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Subban: Never given explanation on trade from Canadiens

P.K. Subban has been left without an answer.

Sixteen months after the trade that sent him to Nashville for former Predators captain Shea Weber, the star blue-liner is left wondering what led to his exit from the Montreal Canadiens organization.

"It's just hilarious when people ask me the question, 'Why do you think you were traded?'," Subban told Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette.

"You know what? Let's get a panel. We can get (Canadiens owner) Geoff Molson, we can get (general manager) Marc Bergevin, we can get (former coach) Michel Therrien. We can get the whole front office and we can just throw those questions at them."

Talk of the blockbuster trade has resurfaced with the Predators and Canadiens set to square off Wednesday in Nashville, marking just the third time the two sides have met since the deal unfolded.

A back injury sidelined Subban for one of last season's games, but he was in the lineup for the Predators' 2-1 loss to the Canadiens on Mar. 2, a game in which he picked up an assist, while Weber was held off the scoresheet.

Subban finished last season with 40 points in 66 games, while Weber tallied 42 points in 78 outings.

A deal which many pundits felt favored the Predators nearly reached its tipping point last spring when the Predators advanced the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Subban was a key factor in that playoff run, and his presence in Montreal was evidently missed as the Canadiens fell in the opening round of playoff action.

"The reality is that I didn't ask to be traded," Subban added. "I don't know. I never got an explanation for it."

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Jets expected to be without Enstrom for 8 weeks due to injury

Dustin Byfuglien might have to go a couple of months with a new defense partner.

Toby Enstrom was placed on injured reserve Sunday with what the Winnipeg Jets would only classify as a "lower-body" injury.

Jamie Thomas, who works for the club as a reporter, tweeted that it appears Enstrom will be out for eight weeks with the ailment, which the defenseman suffered in Saturday's win over the New Jersey Devils.

Enstrom ranked fifth among Jets blue-liners and 10th on the team in ice time, averaging 16:37, but he collected only two points in 19 games.

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Predators’ Watson faces hearing for boarding Avalanche’s Toninato

Austin Watson will face the music for a hit he landed in Nashville.

The Predators forward has a hearing Sunday to explain this hit on Dominic Toninato early in Saturday's game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Watson was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Toninato left the game but later returned.

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