Panthers defenseman suspended two games for head contact

Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended two games for an illegal hit to the head on Tampa Bay’s Conor Sheary on Saturday. 

The hit came early in the second period and earned Kulikov a match penalty. It also voided what would’ve been Florida’s first goal of the game, with Josh Mahura firing the puck into the net immediately after Kulikov’s hit. 

The league explained that the hit violated both grounds of a suspendable hit to the head — with Kulikov making forceful contact with Sheary’s head on an avoidable hit.

This is the second suspension of Kulikov’s career, joining the four-game suspension he received for a low hit on Tyler Seguin in February 2015. Seguin would go on to miss 23 days with a resulting knee injury.

Florida’s lineup has been incredibly consistent this season, with 14 different players appearing in 60 or more games. That includes Kulikov, who has carved out a strong role on the team’s third pairing, averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time through 64 games. 

He’s also managed 16 assists — his highest-scoring pace since the 2014-15 season — though he’s still searching for his first goal of the year.

Kulikov’s absence could pave the way for 22-year-old Tobias Bjornfot to make his debut with Florida after the team claimed him off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline. 

It was Bjornfot’s second waiver claim of the season, with Vegas acquiring him from the Los Angeles Kings. He’s managed three NHL games on the year between the two sin cities, failing to record any scoring. He’ll search for his first point of the year with Florida, pending any call-ups.