Not only did the New York Islanders drop a 5-3 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, but they've also now lost Maxim Tsyplakov for the next handful of games.
He delivered an illegal headshot to Flyers' forward Ryan Poehling, though he was ironically not penalized for it during the game.
However, the NHL Department of Player Safety reviewed the play, and has announced that Tsyplakov has been suspended for the next three games. He'll miss Saturday's game against the San Jose Sharks, Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and next Friday night's rematch against the Flyers; he's eligible to return to the Islanders lineup on Saturday, January 25 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tsyplakov explained afterward in his postgame media availability that it wasn't his intention to injure Poehling, via The Hockey News.
“I think it was a good hit,” he said. “I didn't think it was dirty, but I didn't want to injure a guy. I hope he is okay. I think their team’s response is normal after this kind of hit.”
Head coach Patrick Roy later said that he understood the frustration of Flyers coach John Tortorella, but that he ultimately thought it was a clean play.
“I understand why John [Tortorella] would be mad about seeing his player being hurt, but at the same time, I agree with the call on the ice,” Roy said. “I saw the exact same thing as the referees. And I think the referees did the right thing in a way that they called it a major to make sure they have a better look at it. And I agree with the call.”
The struggling Islanders take on the Sharks Saturday night at UBS Arena; puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST.
Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov is playing in his first NHL season

A 26-year-old Russian native, Tsyplakov is playing in his first NHL season; he was signed by the Islanders as an undrafted free-agent, and has played in 44 games so far in 2024-25, scoring seven goals with 12 assists along with a +9 rating.
Signed to a one-year contract before the season with a cap hit of $950,000, he had previously played seven seasons for Spartak Moskva of the Kontinental Hockey League