Avalanche's Stienburg Receives 2-Game Suspension for Charging Lightning's Cernak

The NHL's Department of Player Safety has suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg for two games following his charging penalty against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. The suspension, announced on Thursday, stems from an incident during the Avalanche's 5-2 loss to the Lightning on Wednesday night.

The incident occurred late in the second period when Stienburg left his feet to hit Cernak into the boards after the defenseman played the puck. Officials assessed Stienburg a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for the hit. Cernak was unable to return to the game, and Lightning head coach Jon Cooper indicated that an update on Cernak's status wasn't yet available after the game.

"That was a tough little sequence there for us," Cooper said. "Those are tough hits but, hopefully, he's good to go in a couple of days."

Lightning captain Victor Hedman also commented on the play, voicing his concern for Cernak. "You never want to see a teammate go down, a brother go down," Hedman said. "One of those plays we don't want in our game."

Cernak has been a reliable presence for the Lightning, contributing three assists, 15 blocked shots, and 16 hits over 10 games this season while averaging 19 minutes and 17 seconds of ice time. He's primarily paired with veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

For Stienburg, this suspension marks a setback in his first NHL season. The 24-year-old forward has accumulated 22 penalty minutes and remains scoreless over his first eight appearances with the Avalanche.

The Lightning, with a 7-3-0 record, are currently second in the Atlantic Division, boasting a division-leading points percentage of .700. They continue their road stretch on Friday, facing the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. ET.