NHL makes an example of Duncan Keith with six-game from seestyle's blog

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith will sit out six games, including the first game of the Stanley Cupplayoffs, for swinging his stick andstriking theface of Wild forward Charlie Coyle.The NHL announced the suspension Friday evening.MORE: The incident occurred during the first period ofTuesday's 4-1 lo s to the Wild. Keith and Coyle Charles Barkley Jersey were competing for a loose puck when Keith fell to the ice and from his back swung his Timothe Luwawu Jersey stick upward, striking Coyle in the nose and drawing blood.Keith was a se seda match penaltyfor intent to injure, which carries an automatic one-game ban, at minimum,dependenton aleague review. After an in-person meeting Thursday,the NHL decided to take it a step further and make an example of Keith, who has a history ofindiscretion leading to suspensions."This is an intentional and retaliatory act of violence by a player with a history of using his stick as a weapon," Clarence Weatherspoon Jersey the announcing the suspension. "He slashes his stick dangerously and violently directly into the face of Coyle."Keith's last suspension came in2013 when he mi sed one playoff gameforhitting Kings forward Jeff Carter in the face with his stick. Thatwas preceded by afive-game ban in 2012 for elbowing Canucks star Daniel Sedin in the head.Keith leads Blackhawks defensemen in points (43) and is seventh in the NHL in Markelle Fultz Jersey average time on ice (25:33). They managed without him for a month earlier this season, butthisabsence, at a time when Chicago has lost seven of its past 10 games, may prove critical toplayoff seeding with the Blackhawks'suspect depth already compromised because of injuries through the lineup.With five games remaining in the regular season, it seems unlikely Chicago can recapture home ice advantage for the first round without Keith. So in starting the playoffs on the road St. Louis, Dallas, Anaheim andLos Angeles all are po sible destinations depending on how it shakes out the once-favored Blackhawks will enterasclear underdogsshorthanded without their top defenseman.And with starting goalie Corey Wilt Chamberlain Jersey Crawford's health up in the air, Keith's suspensioncould loom even larger.