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Sullivan calls it a ‘blindside hit to the head,’ but Marleau doesn’t think suspension’s coming

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Patrick Marleau is sent to the penalty box for a shoulder to the head of Bryan Rust. Rust gets checked out by the Pens' trainer.

PITTSBURGH -- It didn’t take long for the first controversial incident of the Stanley Cup Final.

Patrick Marleau’s illegal check to the head on Bryan Rust -- one that earned Marleau a minor penalty, and forced Rust to exit the game -- left Rust day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Pens head coach Mike Sullivan.

When asked what he thought of the hit, Sullivan was blunt.

“It’s a blindside hit to the head,” he said. "[Marleau] gets a penalty and I’m sure the league will look at it.”

Marleau wasn’t saying much about the incident following the game, but did suggest he wasn’t expecting supplemental discipline:

“I just tried to keep everything down,” Marleau added. “I didn’t want to get too high on him.”

It’ll be interesting to see what transpires. There hasn’t been a suspension in the Stanley Cup Final since Vancouver’s Aaron Rome was given a four-game ban for his massive hit on Boston forward Nathan Horton.

Marleau has no history with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

It should be mentioned the DoPS has been fairly active this spring, handing down five suspensions, including a pair of three-gamers to Brooks Orpik and Brayden Schenn.