Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been suspended two games for interference on San Jose Sharks defenseman Roman Polak.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety called the collision a "late, violent" hit and said Polak was "not eligible to be checked in any manner."
Virtanen, who was assessed an interference major and a game misconduct, acknowledged after the game that his hit was late.
This is his first NHL suspension, and he'll forfeit nearly $10,000 under the terms of the CBA.
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Jake Virtanen has some explaining to do.
The Vancouver Canucks forward will have a hearing Wednesday for his hit on San Jose Sharks defenseman Roman Polak on Tuesday night.
Virtanen admitted after the game that the hit came "a little bit late" but said he was "just back-checking," and that the hit was shoulder-to-shoulder as opposed to a headshot.
The 19-year-old has never received supplemental discipline.
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The defending Stanley Cup champions are heading to the postseason for the eighth consecutive year, as the Chicago Blackhawks clinched a playoff berth Sunday with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It will mark their 61st postseason appearance in franchise history.
#HAWKSWIN and we're headed back to the #StanleyCup Playoffs!#ONEGOAL pic.twitter.com/9ZBwLc6gfg
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 28, 2016
The Blackhawks needed just one point to book their ticket to the playoffs, but they picked up two thanks to Andrew Ladd, who scored the game-winning goal with under three minutes remaining. The trade-deadline acquisition now has three goals and four points in his past two games.
Tomas Fleischmann and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Blackhawks, while defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk finished the game with two assists.
With Corey Crawford sidelined for the sixth game in a row due to an upper-body injury, Scott Darling filled in and picked up his second win in as many days with a 26-save performance.
The win places Chicago four points ahead of the Nashville Predators for third in the Central, and four points behind the co-division leaders: the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues.
Back to back wins for the Blackhawks for first time since 2/28 and 3/2
— Judd Sirott (@Judd_Sirott) March 28, 2016
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You weren't expecting the Vancouver Canucks to score in back-to-back games, were you?
The reeling Canucks were shut out for the fourth time in five games Friday, dropping a 4-0 decision to St. Louis. The Blues clinched a playoff spot with the victory.
Vancouver barely put up a fight, firing only 15 shots on goal and a pathetic two in the third period. The Canucks had only four shots over the last 28:54 of the game, according to The Province's Jeff Paterson, who added that only two forwards registered shots on goal in the game's final 30 minutes.
It was the Canucks' seventh straight loss, and with 67 points, they're tied with the Edmonton Oilers for second last in the league. The Canucks have three games in hand on Edmonton, though. The streaking Toronto Maple Leafs have 65 points, last in the NHL, but have played one fewer game than Vancouver and four fewer than Edmonton.
Markstrom has started 26 games this season. #Canucks have been blanked in 6 of them. Just 40 GF in his last 22 starts
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 26, 2016
It doesn't get any easier for Vancouver. Up next is the Chicago Blackhawks at home, followed by a home-and-home series with the San Jose Sharks, a visit to Anaheim to face the Ducks, and a game at home against the Los Angeles Kings. Goals and wins will be hard to come by.
The Canucks close their season with road games in Edmonton and Calgary, before a season finale against the Oilers, which can't come soon enough.
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Here's some good news as the Vancouver Canucks stagger to the finish line.
With an assist on brother Daniel Sedin's first-period goal Thursday, Henrik Sedin passed Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard for 88th on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
Henrik has 966 points in 1,157 games. Richard finished with 965 points in 978 games.
The Canucks lost again Thursday, blowing a 2-0 lead to the Nashville Predators and falling in a shootout. On the bright side, they scored - which they hadn't done in the three previous games - and picked up a point in the standings.
"It's tough to lose, but it was one of the best games we've played in a while," Henrik said.
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It will likely go down in history as a "Where were you when ..." moment.
The Vancouver Canucks scored. It happened. Bo Horvat found the back of the net Thursday against the Nashville Predators, putting home a rebound, giving his team its first goal in four games - 234 minutes and 52 seconds, actually.
It was the longest drought in club history, and the fourth longest in the NHL in the last 30 years, according to Sportsnet. You almost have to be impressed.
The tweets were actually somewhat fun to read:
Guys? The #Canucks scored! They scored!
— Ashley D. MacKenzie (@AshDMacKenzie) March 25, 2016
The Canucks scored, you don't hear that very often
— Mike (@MikeCanucksFan) March 25, 2016
The Canucks scored a goal! I'm so proud.
— Jules (@dancetheskies) March 25, 2016
You guys remember when the Canucks scored a goal? Boy. That was something.
— Pass it to Bulis (@passittobulis) March 25, 2016
Mark it on your calendar the Canucks scored a goal pic.twitter.com/3s1aNotS8u
— Kevin in Calgary (@YYC_Kevin) March 25, 2016
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The Vancouver Canucks are barely crawling to the finish line.
For the third game in a row, the Canucks were held without a goal, with the latest shutout loss coming at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets and Ondrej Pavelec, who carried a .901 save percentage heading into Tuesday's action.
Markstrom: "Not winning games is very frustrating. We've got to stick together here. It's important for our group." pic.twitter.com/WohbeJ7Vry
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 23, 2016
In their past five games, all losses, the Canucks have recorded a grand total of three goals. And it's not as if they've been playing the NHL's best, either.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Shots For - Shots Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | Winnipeg | L 5-2 | 28-29 |
| March 16 | Colorado | L 3-1 | 29-34 |
| March 18 | Edmonton | L 2-0 | 40-25 |
| March 19 | St. Louis | L 3-0 | 19-50 |
| March 22 | Winnipeg | L 2-0 | 28-49 |
The offensive struggles put the Canucks 30th in terms of goal differential (minus-40), while the loss slots them even with the Jets at 66 points with 10 games remaining on the schedule.
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The Vancouver Canucks have signed winger Anton Rodin to a one-year, one-way deal, general manager Jim Benning announced.
Rodin salary in VAN is $950,000
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 22, 2016
The 25-year-old, who was drafted by the Canucks in the second round of the 2009 NHL draft, spent this season playing for Brynas IF Gavle of the Swedish Hockey League, recording 16 goals and 37 points in 33 games while also earning the Gold Helmet Award as the league's most valuable player.
Rodin's one-year deal will begin at the onset of the 2016-17 season.
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