Marcus Johansson suspended two games for check to head of Thomas Hickey

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Capitals forward Marcus Johansson for two games

The Washington Capitals are already without their entire first defensive pairing and Jay Beagle. They will have to face this weekend’s slate of games on back-to-back nights without forward Marcus Johansson. Johansson has been suspended two games for his hit on Thomas Hickey, which the NHL deemed to be a hit to the head.

Johansson will not be eligible to play this weekend when the Capitals take on the New York Rangers Saturday and the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. This comes on the heels of the NHL suspending Capitals center Zach Sill for two games after boarding Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid.

The NHL decided to suspend Johansson for several reasons. First of all, they deemed that Johansson extended to hit Hickey in the head and he followed through on the hit. Secondly, they deemed that Johansson hit Hickey in a way that made his head the principal point of contact when Johansson could have avoided making the head the principal point of contact.

Johansson is a significant loss for the Capitals. Marcus was filling in for Jay Beagle as Washington’s third line center after Beagle had to have surgery on his hand. The Capitals have called up forward Paul Carey from Hershey to replace Johansson while he is out.