Stienburg suspended two games

An already ailing club has a new issue to deal with.

A team who couldn’t find 12 healthy forwards to play in Wednesday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning has lost another body out of their lineup. This time the cause is due to a disciplinary action and not another injury at least. Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg received the call from the NHL Department of Player Safety for his high hit on Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak and paid the price in the form of a two-game suspension.

Following the league’s announcement of the suspension the Avalanche made a roster move to send Stienburg back to the Colorado Eagles instead of opting to wait out the suspension while he remains on the NHL roster.

Losing another player will have a trickle down effect as the Avalanche need to ice a full team in Nashville on Saturday before hopefully getting at least Artturi Lehkonen back on Tuesday against Seattle. TJ Tynan was already sent down after the game on Wednesday and could be back up again or the organization might opt to make another selection instead from the Eagles. The Avalanche will now need two as Stienburg needs replacing as well unless the team chooses to play both defensemen Oliver Kylington and John Ludvig, perhaps both at forward if they choose to do so.

Stienburg made an impression with his physical play even without much of a role in very limited time on ice of 5:32 per game at even strength, the lowest for any player who has dressed for the Avalanche in this young season. It’s understandable that he was trying to stay in the lineup with some big hits but inexperience caught up to him in this case with a bad decision on a hit. It will end up costing Stienburg that roster spot he was trying to hold on to. Jared Bednar appreciated that physicality but it is going to take a big commitment from the organization to bring Stienburg back to the NHL and use the roster spot just to get through the suspension when recalls from the Eagles are typically to fill an immediate need.