The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Pavel Buchnevich for the next two games after he was suspended on Tuesday evening for head-butting Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse.
The incident happened late in the first period of the Blues’ 7-4 win on Monday night and resulted in Buchnevich being given a match penalty.
You can see the play, as well as the NHL’s explanation, in the video below.
This is Buchnevich’s second suspension. He was suspended one game last May for high-sticking Anthony Mantha.
St. Louis acquired Buchnevich during the offseason in a trade with the New York Rangers that sent Samuel Blais the other way. He has a goal and an assist in the Blues’ first two games this season.
He will miss Wednesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights and Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. He will be eligible to return to the Blues’ lineup on Monday, also against the Kings.
Buchnevich will forfeit $141,463.42 in salary as a result of the two-game suspension.
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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.