Keith suspended for Game 4
LOS ANGELES — Defenseman Duncan Keith will miss Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Thursday under a one-game suspension for high-sticking Los Angeles' Jeff Carter.
The NHL announced the suspension Wednesday.
Keith hit Carter with a one-handed blow in the second period of the Kings' 3-1 victory in Game 3, opening a 20-stitch gash on the star forward's face and cracking three of his teeth.
Keith's ungloved hand was nearly slashed by Carter an instant earlier. Keith got a double minor penalty, but the NHL's department of player safety followed up with a one-game ban for the dependable veteran who leads the Blackhawks in ice time.
Both teams went through practices Wednesday without knowing whether Keith would sit out when the Kings attempt to even the series.