The Philadelphia Flyers will play their next playoff game without defenceman Matt Niskanen. He has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams will play game six on Friday evening. The NHL’s Player Safety committee announced the suspension late Thursday night.
Philadelphia’s Matt Niskanen has been suspended for one playoff game for Cross-checking Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher. https://t.co/x8zPyvNmGX
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) August 21, 2020
Flyers Matt Niskanen Suspended
Niskanen had a very fine year for the Flyers in 2019-20. The 33-year-old scored eight goals and 33 points in 68 games. This year was one of Niskanen’s most productive. He also chipped in 124 hits and 84 blocks as one of the team’s primary defensive defencemen. Niskanen hadn’t scored a point since the postseason bubble began and that won’t change after his hit on Gallagher, who is out with a broken jaw.
The Dallas Stars originally drafted Niskanen in the first round of the 2005 Draft. His longest stint was five seasons with the Washington Capitals where he helped win a Stanley Cup but Niskanen has been productive over the course of a 13-year career. Overall, Niskanen has 72 goals and 356 points in 949 games. He also has over 1500 hits. Niskanen’s style of play is generally in decline but there will always be room for a physical blueliner on any roster.
What This Means for the Future
Niskanen’s absence should not affect Philadelphia too deeply. He is one of the team’s better physical options but they have plenty of others in the bubble. The team brought 10 defenders to the hub in Toronto. None of the other options have Niskanen’s experience but it’s only for one game. The team likely uses Shayne Gostisbehere for the fourth time this postseason. Gostisbehere has two assists in three games since the bubble began. Those numbers came after the 26-year-old scored just five goals and 12 points in 42 games. Gostisbehere isn’t Niskanen but the Flyers are deep enough to close out Montreal without the veteran defender.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
