The Detroit Red Wings could potentially be without stalwart defenseman Nicklas Kronwall on Wednesday when they take the ice at the Amalie Arena in Florida for their Game 7 matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Update: Kronwall was suspended by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for Game 7.
NHL.com reports that Kronwall will have a telephone hearing Tuesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety regarding a hit he put on Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov in Game 6 on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Kronwall put a hit on Kucherov at 19:00 of the second period, but the young winger stayed in the game and there was no penalty assessed on the play.
For his part, Kucherov said he didn't think the hit was anything too serious.
"He made a hit. I'm not going to cry now," Kucherov told NBC Sports. "It's a part of the game. That's why we play here."
Kucherov had 29 goals and 36 assists for 65 points in the regular season and paced the NHL with a plus-38 rating. Through six postseason contests, Kucherov has four helpers and rates a plus-5. His 65 regular season points were third on Tampa Bay this season.
Kronwall, 34, is a veteran on Detroit's blue line and had nine goals and 35 assists for the Red Wings in the regular season to finish with 44 points while averaging 23:50 time on ice.
The Swede has two helpers through six games this postseason and has averaged 23:35 time on ice. Kronwall has played in 104 playoff games in his career with Detroit.
The Red Wings had a chance to advance to Round 2 for the first time since 2013 on home ice Monday, but fell to the Lightning 5-2 and now face a Game 7 on the road Wednesday.
Kronwall will potentially face supplemental discipline on the grounds of charging/illegal hit to the head and the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review, according to NHL.com.
The Lightning and Red Wings have alternated wins and losses throughout the series and the winner of Game 7 will meet the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2.
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