Nino Niederreiter suspended one game for slashing

Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter has been suspended one for slashing Axel Jonsson-Fjallby in Friday night’s game against the Washington Capitals, the NHL Department of Player Safety has announced.

Niederreiter did receive a penalty for the play in the game, but the league deemed the slash worthy of supplemental discipline. The Capitals didn’t score on the proceeding power play, but they did win the game in the shootout 4-3.

Niederreiter had no history of being suspended but was fined last season for interference on Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros.

The winger is in his fourth season with the Hurricanes since being traded from the Minnesota Wild for Victor Rask and has 17 goals and 31 points in 55 games this season.

The one-game ban is a blow for a Hurricanes team looking to solidify a top seed in the East, as they are already on a three-game losing streak and are set to face the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning in their next two games. They currently have a 41-14-6 record, sit first in the Metropolitan division, and are five points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a game in hand for the division lead. Carolina sits two points back of the Florida Panthers with a game in hand for the conference lead.