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Greg WyshynskiESPN
Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin will have a hearing with the NHL after his reckless stick swing at Michael Raffl of the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, will be over the phone. Malkin could face a suspension of five games or fewer, or a fine up to $10,000.
Malkin was given a match penalty at 15:06 of the third period of the Penguins’ 4-1 win over the Flyers in Philadelphia. After a battle for the puck near the benches, Raffl landed a punch to the back of Malkin’s head. Malkin responded by swinging his stick toward Raffl’s head, who instinctively ducked out of the way.
Malkin gets punched. Swings his stick at Raffl.
Match penalty. pic.twitter.com/5D3s4TUufS
— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) February 12, 2019
Raffl wasn’t penalized on the play.
“I don’t know why I’m not playing smart with five minutes left,” said Malkin, who was playing his first game with Pittsburgh since Jan. 30 due to injury. “I know it’s scary, but I didn’t touch his helmet or his shoulder. I gave them a five-minute power play. It’s my fault, for sure.”
Malkin was fined $5,000 in January 2018 for spearing Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown. He has never been suspended in his NHL career.