Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri has been suspended for the remainder of the first round – potentially five games – and the fallout might only be starting. The suspension for a cross-check on Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk during Game 2 is his fifth suspension. The timing of his act couldn't have been worse. The Bruins-Maple Leafs Series is a physical one and the Leafs need Kadri's prickly playing style if they want to upset the Bruins. What they didn't need was Kadri losing control of his emotions. Again. "This was not a hockey play," the NHL's Department of Player Safety said in its explanation video. "Instead, this is a player retaliating against an opponent by using stick as a weapon." LIGHTNING:NHL's top team nears an all-time playoff implosion FLYERS:New coach Alain Vigneault has history of winning Kadri was reacting to DeBrusk's legal hit against Toronto's Patrick Marleau seconds before. Earlier, DeBrusk had knocked Kadri briefly out of the game with a check, and the two also got roughing minors in the first period. He is 28 and still hasn't learned to pick his spots to use his aggressiveness. We can guess the conversation between coach Mike Babcock and Kadri, or GM Kyle Dubas and Kadri, at the end of this season won't be warm and friendly. Kadri is a desirable center with a reasonable salary cap hit of $4.5 million. The Maple Leafs will be looking at trades this summer to help ease their salary cap issues that will arise from Auston Matthews' five-year, $58 million extension and the need to re-sign Mitch Marner. While Kadri isn't the first player the Maple Leafs would want to deal, they might have to think about it now. This is a player whose irresponsible actions hurt his team during the playoffs. His hard-nosed playing style doesn't help if he can't control his emotions. Kadri's history was also noted as a factor to suspend him for the duration Suspending Kadri for the series, rather than a set number of games, is similar to a suspension that Raffi Torres picked up in the 2013 playoffs. The Maple Leafs-Bruins series is tied 1-1 with Game 3 on Monday night. William Nylander will move to center for the Maple Leafs.<doc-sep>After two serious incidents in consecutive playoff series against the Boston Bruins, the NHL's Department of Player Safety has decided it doesn't want Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri facing the Bruins again this postseason. The NHL suspended Kadri for the remainder of the first-round series between Toronto and Boston after his cross-check to the face of Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk in Game 2 on Saturday. That means a maximum five-game ban for Kadri. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal was Monday night, with the Leafs beating the Bruins 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead. Kadri was suspended three games in the 2018 first-round playoff series between the clubs for charging and delivering a blow to the head of Boston forward Tommy Wingels. The NHL cited a similar cross-checking incident involving Kadri and the Detroit Red Wings' Luke Glendening in 2016 that also earned the Leafs center a suspension. Nazem Kadri's NHL disciplinary record - Nov. 1, 2013: Suspended three games for hit to head against Niklas Backstrom - March 18, 2015: Suspended four games for illegal check to the head against Matt Fraser - Feb. 11, 2016: Fined $5,000 for inappropriate gestures (throat-slash at Mark Giordano) - March 12, 2016: Fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment - March 21, 2016: Fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment - April 4, 2016: Suspended four games for cross-checking Luke Glendening - April 13, 2018: Suspended three games for boarding Tommy Wingels The latest incident occurred at 14:01 of the third period Saturday. DeBrusk delivered a hard hit on Toronto's Patrick Marleau, crushing him against the stanchion at the players' bench. As DeBrusk stood near the boards, Kadri skated over to avenge his teammate -- and perhaps gain a measure of revenge for himself for a questionable DeBrusk hit earlier in the game -- and cross-checked DeBrusk high with his stick, knocking him to the ice. Kadri was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking. DeBrusk didn't return to the game but was due to play in Game 3 for the Bruins. "This was not a hockey play. Instead, it's a player retaliating against his opponent, using his stick as a weapon for forceful and direct head contact," the Department of Player Safety said in a release. Kadri has the right to appeal through the NHL Players' Association to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. However, since the suspension is for fewer than six games, he is ineligible to eventually take his case to a neutral arbitrator in an effort to get it reduced. 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs Miss a game from the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs? Want to experience a game again? Every playoff matchup is available for replay on ESPN+. Watch now » Kadri had 16 goals and 28 assists in 73 games for the Leafs this season, following consecutive seasons of 32 goals. He plays a valuable third-line role for Toronto. "Instinctively, Nas wears his emotions on his sleeve and cares about the group in this room. You can see where the emotions got to him, sticking up for a teammate. It's obvious the result wasn't what he intended," Toronto center John Tavares said. "Nas is a big part of our team. He brings so many elements that are key. It's obviously not ideal at playoff time, but with the intensity of these games, anything can happen." As this is his fifth suspension in his 561-game NHL career, Kadri is still having difficulty controlling his impulses while playing on the edge. "I think the edge for anybody is a little different. But anytime you put yourself in a situation where someone else gets to decide your future? Probably not a good thing," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said.<doc-sep>
TORONTO – If the Toronto Maple Leafs are to advance past the Boston Bruins, they’ll have to do so without Nazem Kadri. Toronto’s third-line centre was suspended for the remainder of the first round by the NHL’s department of player safety Monday evening for delivering a dangerous cross-check to the head of Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. Kadri was also assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for his actions in Saturday’s 4-1 Game 2 loss in Boson. DeBrusk left the game and said he underwent “a couple tests” but will play Monday. Kadri’s status as a four-time repeat offender factored into the length of the suspension, specifically his similar cross-check on Detroit’s Luke Glendening on April 2, 2016. The decision was determined after a lengthy hearing in New York, which both Kadri and Leafs president Brendan Shanahan attended. “Obviously, any time you put yourself in a situation where someone else gets to decide your future, it’s probably not a good thing in anything you do in life,” head coach Mike Babcock said Monday. “Naz is a good player and an important guy on our team. It’s just [like] he’s injured — move on.” William Nylander will assume Kadri’s position in the middle of the third line, between Connor Brown and Patrick Marleau. “He’s got to play hard,” Babcock said of Nylander. “It’s real simple, the team that played the hardest won Game 1, and the team that played the hardest won Game 2.” Kadri’s cross-check was in retaliation for a DeBrusk knee-on-knee hit that had gone unpenalized earlier in the game, as well as a borderline check of Marleau near the benches. “This is not a hockey play. Instead, this is a player retaliating against an opponent by using his stick as a weapon to make forceful and direct head contact,” according to the NHL-released suspension video. “Players are simply not permitted to flagrantly violate league playing rules because they feel the retribution is justified.” The flexible length of this suspension (between three and five games) is unusual — but not unprecedented — in that typically player safety sets its bans to a fixed number to games, regardless of when it occurs in the playoff series. The only similar occurrence took place during the 2013 Western Conference semifinals, when San Jose’s Raffi Torres was suspended for the remainder of the series following his illegal Game 1 check on L.A.’s Jarret Stoll. Kadri was also suspended during the 2018 Leafs-Bruins series for a high, retaliatory hit, on Tommy Wingels, for which he was banned three games. “Naz is an emotional guy. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. Passionate,” Zach Hyman said. “Sticks up for his teammates. He’s a good teammate.” Veteran winger Tyler Ennis draws into the lineup and takes Brown’s spot on the fourth line to make up for Kadri’s absence. Game 3 of the tied series goes Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.