The Department of Player Safety has handed out a two-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak for his hit from behind on Oliver Bjorkstrand last night. This is the first time in over 600 NHL games that Polak has ever received supplementary discipline—suspensions or fines—from the league, despite playing a physical style for his entire career. He’ll miss games against New Jersey and Buffalo before being eligible to return on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
Polak has had an up-and-down calendar year to say the least, after being traded from the Leafs to the San Jose Sharks at the 2016 trade deadline. He was celebrated for his tough play in the Western Conference playoffs before being exposed in the Finals by Pittsburgh’s speed and skill. When put up against other physical players he can often hold his own, but trying to shut down speedy forwards like Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel was impossible. He re-signed with the Leafs in the offseason and has heard cries for his head all year from fans hoping to see “Hunlack” (a pairing with Matt Hunwick) jettisoned as soon as possible. His coach, Mike Babcock, has continually come to his defense, praising his penalty killing ability most of all.
It’s ironic then, that the Maple Leafs would kill off an almost seven minute powerplay allowing just one shot after Polak was ejected last night. Even though his teammates stepped up and battled through that kill, Polak will be missed. Even analytically, as James Mirtle of The Athletic points out, Polak has been playing much better of late and is part of the reason the Maple Leafs have tightened defensively in recent weeks. He’ll be replaced by Alexey Marchenko for the time being as Toronto continues its playoff drive.