4:00 pm: NHL Player Safety has suspended Cernak for two games as a result of his actions, as announced Friday afternoon. They cited his previous suspension, as well as Cernak’s deliberate shift of his elbow to target Okposo, as reasoning behind the suspension.
9:41 am: The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will have a hearing for elbowing Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo during last night’s game.
The incident occurred late in the third period (video link) when Cernak delivered a high elbow to Okposo’s head, spinning him around and knocking him to the ice as he attempted to gain the offensive zone. Okposo was slow to get up after the collision but rejoined the action. Officials did not assess a penalty to Cernak on the play. Buffalo would win the game a few moments later on an Ilya Lyubushkin shorthanded breakaway in overtime, defeating the Lightning 6-5.
Cernak has been suspended once before in his career, also for elbowing. NHL Player Safety handed out a two-game ban to Cernak in November 2019 after he elbowed Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, causing a concussion. With the incidents occurring more than 18 months apart, however, Cernak isn’t considered a repeat offender.
Cernak, 24, has seen his defensive metrics dip this season after multiple seasons of elite shutdown play. Offensively, he’s contributed a goal and 10 assists in 51 games, spending most of his time paired with Ian Cole. He’s locked into an eight-year, $41.6MM extension that kicks in next season.
Okposo, 33, is leading by example as the Sabres prime themselves to enter the playoff conversation for the first time in a decade. Largely in a fourth-line, shutdown role, Okposo has added seven goals and 14 assists in 49 games this season as he nears the 1,000-game plateau.
I was watching the Sabres/Lightning game last night. What awful officiating… they missed a blatant elbow to the face of Okposo from Cernak and then they call a delay of game on Jokiharju for inadvertently tipping an already flying puck out of play. The intent of the delay of game rule is to penalize players who directly send the puck out of play without interference from an opposing player. I’m not a Sabres fan but man did they get screwed in the 3rd. At least they won in OT.
Not to mention the OT was also illegal – a result of a blown hooking call directly leading to the goal. All around badly officiated game.
The only blown call was not calling diving or holding the stick on that play!!! Stamkos looked terrible on that. Knew he was screwed so had to try something lol.
No. If you watch the replay Boosh went towards Stamkos who overplayed the puck. The puck was at least 5ft behind Stamkos who immediately started to tuck Boosh’s stick under his arm & decided to go down. Boosh immediately loosened his grip on his stick as he saw Stamkos put his stick under his arm. Both Refs saw the puck was behind Stamkos so he had no procession & since he was behind the puck interference could also not be called.
Definitely not the case, as Stamkos was attempting to turn around to follow the puck but got yanked down by the stick, but believe whatever helps you sleep at night.
Look at the replay again. I have watched that a dozen times already. The puck was going behind him by about 5-6ft as he was “falling down away”. Stamkos pulls his arm in tight as Boosh & his stick gets near him & Boosh is barely holding onto his stick as he sees what Stamkos is doing. Stamkos overplayed the puck/puck was going behind him.
deserved i’d say , hate it as a bolts fan but you can’t throw hits like that , definitely not what i like to see. also the missed hook on stamkos was retribution for the missed cernak call. that’s just the way it goes sometimes i guess , either way buffalo is extremely fun team to watch this year.
The puck was going behind Stamkos. If it was more in line with him they would have called it. Just like a DB in coverage if the ball is not thrown well it is up for grabs. You cannot give a offensive player a 6+ft radius on a pass.
Cernek deserves the 2-game suspension with his obvious elbow to the face. My questions? How did Larkin avoid a suspension with his obvious cross-check to the face causing a minor injury.