“Should have been given death sentence”: NHL fans react to Matt Stienburg’s two-game suspension for charging Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak – Source: Imagn

On Thursday, NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg for two games for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner Erik Cernak.

The incident occurred during Wednesday night’s Avalanche vs. Lightning game at Ball Arena, which the Lightning won 5-2. Stienburg’s hit knocked Cernak down, forcing him to leave the game.

The news of Stienburg’s suspension unleashed fan reactions on social media.

“He should have been given the death sentence,” one fan opined.

“This is the first time player safety has gotten it right in way too long,” this fan weighed in.

“Now treat every infraction this way,” another fan commented.

However, some fans seemed skeptical about the decision. Some fans believe the DoPS got it wrong once again.

“Seems harsh for a first-time offender. We’ve seen far worse results in a fine or no supplemental punishment at all,” this fan chimed in.

“Back in the day that’s what you call a clean hit on player safety making NHL players soft,” another fan remarked.

“I’ve seen goons on the Rangers with worse hits that never seem to get disciplined. This is soft,” a fan tweeted.

Matt Stienburg will be unavailable against the Nashville Predators and the Seattle Kraken.

Matt Stienburg latest Avalanche forward to become unavailable

Matt Stienburg is the latest Colorado Avalanche forward to become unavailable for the club. The Avs have been hit by the injury bug, with top-liner Jonathan Drouin out with an upper-body injury. Similarly, Artturi Lehkonen has yet to play this season following surgery.

The most recent injury occurred to Ross Colton. Colton suffered a broken foot in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week. The depleted Avalanche roster has forced coach Jared Bednar to deploy defenseman Oliver Kylington on a forward line.

As such, Stienburg’s suspension further complicates the Avalanche’s roster decisions, as the club is running out of NHL-caliber options to play for the big team.

While stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have been shouldering their share of the load, the Avs need to find solutions to the lineup holes.

In the meantime, the Avs have dropped two straight after winning five in a row. However, the injuries and suspension will force the Colorado Avalanche to make difficult decisions in the near future.