San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has been suspended one game for his cross-check on Vegas Golden Knights Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.
Sharks Evander Kane Suspended 1 Game
San Jose’s Evander Kane suspended one game for cross-checking Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. https://t.co/R5Nts4CTHF
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 27, 2018
At the 3:25 mark of the third period Kane cross-checked Bellemare twice after the whistle. The first in the shoulder, then as Bellemare turned and fell, Kane hit him again, just below the visor.
The Sharks forward was assessed a major-penalty on the play, and given a game-misconduct.
So far this season, he scored 29 goals and 25 assists for 54 points. Of that he notched 9-5-14 with the Sharks, and added another 3 goals, 1 assist for 4 points in the post-season. He also added 82 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 50.8 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 4.26.
Over his nine-year NHL career Kane has played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks. He has put up 186 goals and 168 assists for 354 career points in 574 career games. He was originally drafted in the first round, fourth overall of the 2009 NHL draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.
The league called the cross-check “not a hockey play.”
Kane was fined $28,225 and suspended one game by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, and was suspended two games during his stint with the Winnipeg Jets in 2014 for boarding Anaheim Ducks defender Clayton Stoner.
What This Means for the Future
The suspension leaves the Sharks without their top-line left-winger. Kane’s four points in five games places him joint-second on the Sharks for playoff scoring, and his three goals lead the team, matched only by Tomas Hertl and Marcus Sorensen.
The Sharks benefited from impressive depth scoring when they routed the Anaheim Ducks, but were shutout 7-0 in game one against the Golden Knights. The loss of one of their premier goal-scorers certainly doesn’t improve their odds for Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena.
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