Hjalmarsson suspended 2 games for hit

The NHL dropped the hammer on Niklas Hjalmarsson on Tuesday, suspending the Blackhawks defenseman two games for Monday's hit on Buffalo's Jason Pominville that left the Sabres' winger with a concussion and cut about his eye.

The Hawks didn't believe Hjalmarsson deserved a suspension for the hit the league determined in a hearing was dangerous and slightly from behind. Pominville hit his head on the glass after the check and was taken from the ice on a stretcher.

“I never intended to hurt him at all; it's a fast game out there, Hjalmarsson said following the game. “I thought it was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit and then his head went into the glass.

The suspension might have been longer if not for Hjalmarsson's reputation as a clean player.

“Hammer is a fair player, teammate Jonathan Toews said. “He's smart and doesn't do anything reckless out there and he plays really hard. Obviously he didn't mean to do that. Sometimes bad things happen.

Hjalmarsson will miss Wednesday night's game against Nashville at the United Center and Friday's game at Columbus. He is eligible to return Saturday night when who else? the Sabres come to town.

Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta already was talking tough Tuesday before Hjalmarsson's suspension came down.

“It'll get taken care of either with the league or I think we play them Saturday, Kaleta told the Buffalo News. “So we'll make a point that you can't be taking big hits like that against one of our leaders and one of the better players on our team.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller also had some harsh words for Hjalmarsson, as reported by the Buffalo News.

“No matter how badly Hjalmarsson feels, it's still an illegal hit, it still put our guy out, and it's still suspendable in my mind, Miller said. “It absolutely needs to be punished.

“I don't care if it's unintentional. That's what we need to get away from in hockey right now, the culture of it where, ‘I was trying to make a play, therefore it's not my fault.'

“A hockey hit is to separate a man from the puck, not anticipating the puck getting there, hitting him from behind and driving him into the boards. So you have two things right there: The puck wasn't completely there, it was anticipation of it, there's no separation, and it's a hit from behind.

“It's completely an unnecessary play.

There were no additional comments Tuesday from the Hawks, who had the day off, but coach Joel Quenneville made it clear where he stood on Hjalmarsson's hit.

“To me you can argue that it was even a penalty, Quenneville said after Monday's game. “I know that you don't want to see anybody go down and get hurt like that, but (Hjalmarsson) wasn't even looking at the guy. He was playing the puck and just hit him. There was no intent at all on the head.

Sabres coach Lindy Roff told reporters Tuesday that Pominville was “doing OK, but still experiencing some concussion symptoms.

Without Hjalmarsson for the next two games it's likely Jordan Hendry will step into the lineup on defense for the Hawks.

Blackhawks game day

Nashville Predators at the United Center, 7:30 p.m.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: WGN 720-AM

Game notes: Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (lower body) is questionable, which could give rookie Anders Lindback his first NHL start. Martin Erat is questionable with a bad back. Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson starts his two-game suspension.

Last season: The Hawks won the regular season series 4-2.

Next: Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 6 p.m. Friday.