x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov suspended for Game 3 of Nashville vs. Phoenix

We knew things might get a little messy over the next couple of days as the Predators get ready for Game 3 down 0-2 against the Phoenix Coyotes. I’m not sure we thought it would get this bad.

Straight from the Preds:

Nashville, Tenn. (May 1, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn will not play Game Three of the team’s Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Phoenix Coyotes as result of violating team rules.

“The Nashville Predators have a few simple rules centered around doing the right things,” Poile said. “We have always operated with a team-first mentality and philosophy. Violating team rules is not fair to our team and their teammates.”

The Predators practice today at 11 a.m. CT at Centennial Sportsplex and play Game Three at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, May 2 at 8 p.m. CT.

More after the jump:

UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP:

UPDATE II (comments from Poile):


Andrei Kostitsyn

#46 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

6-0

214

Feb 03, 1985



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Andrei Kostitsyn 72 16 20 36 -1 26 5 0 5 122



Alexander Radulov

#47 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

6-1

200

Jul 05, 1986



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Alexander Radulov 9 3 4 7 3 4 0 0 0 21


One would assume this has to be pretty serious to get this kind of punishment handed down. We all know Trotz doesn’t hesitate to make guys watch a few games from the press box, but I can’t ever remember productive guys like Radulov and Andrei being suspended like this.

Today the Preds rolled these lines in practice, which seemed hilarious at first, but are now much less funny:

S. Kostitsyn – Fisher – Erat

Bourque – Legwand – Hornqvist

Yip – Spaling – Smith

Halischuk – Gaustad – Tootoo

A. Kostitsyn – McGrattan – Radulov

So, any idea what kind of team rules could have been broken here?

UPDATE:

A few reliable twitter sources have chimed in with their explanation for the suspension.

UPDATE II:

Poile spoke to the media at practice.

And now a question for you readers: Can you ever remember a Predator being suspended for violation of team rules? I certainly can’t.

Update III: Take this with a grain of salt, but….