Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky has been suspended one game for a high cross check on Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Dubinsky's ban on Saturday.
Here is the NHL's explanation for Dubinsky's punishment.
There's no denying that the move looked questionable. Afterward, Dubinsky said he wasn't trying to hurt Crosby, just play the Pens star as hard as he could.
"There's no secret. I try to play him as hard as I can," Dubinsky said, per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Post-Dispatch. "That being said, I don't try and do anything dirty. I felt like my stick ride up his back a little bit. He's kind of bent over there in front. But again, that's not the type of player I am. I'm going to play hard, but try and play fair and play in between the whistle."
Per Portzline, Dubinsky and Columbus will not appeal the ruling. He will miss the Blue Jackets' game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night and return to the ice on Tuesday for a match up with the league-leading Montreal Canadiens.
No appeal by #CBJ. Dubinsky will sit tonight vs. #stlblues and return on Tuesday in Montreal.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) November 28, 2015
As for Crosby, he seemed to be no worse for the wear physically, though he did sound like a guy who was tired of facing this kind of unnecessarily violent play, though he didn't seem surprised by it.
"I'm not surprised, if that's what you're asking. I'm probably not surprised," Crosby said of Dubinsky after the game. "If I was going to get one of those shots, it'd probably be from him."
