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Evander Kane to have hearing for cross-checking Bellemare in head

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Evander Kane is sent down the tunnel and handed a five-minute major for a high cross-check in the third period.

After getting blown out in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, it is looking like the San Jose Sharks might have to play Game 2 of the series without one of their top forwards.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Friday afternoon that forward Evander Kane will have a disciplinary hearing on Friday for a cross-checking incident that took place midway through the third period of Vegas’ 7-0 win.

You can see the entire sequence in the video above.
[NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub]

There are a lot of things that are going to be working against Kane here when it comes to potential discipline. Not only does he clearly and deliberately cross-check a guy in the head -- it was the second cross-check Kane delivered to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare during the exchange -- but it came late in a game that had already turned into a blowout.

Kane was given a five-minute major for cross-checking and also ejected from the game.

It was just a bad play all around. The Sharks were already trailing 5-0 at the time and then gave up two power play goals on the ensuing power play. Now he might be leaving his team shorthanded in Game 2 with his team already trailing in the series.

If Kane gets suspended -- and the fact he has a hearing is a pretty strong indication that he will -- it will already be the fifth suspension handed out by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety this postseason. There was only suspension during the entire 2017 postseason.

Kane was one of the Sharks’ best forwards in their first-round series win over the Anaheim Ducks, scoring three goals and adding an assist in the four-game sweep.

Related: Evander Kane ejected for cross-checking Bellemare in the head

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.