Flyers' Bellemare suspended 1 game for hitting Capitals' Orlov from behind

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will not play Game 4 against the Washington Capitals.

The Philadelphia Flyers forward has been suspended one game for an illegal check from behind on Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov in Game 3 on Monday.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

As explained in the video, Bellemare - who was assessed a major and a game misconduct at the time of the play - rode Orlov forcefully into the boards as both players pursued the puck in Washington's zone.

While it's believed that the hit became more violent because Orlov lost an edge, it was still Bellemare's responsibility to change the angle of approach in order to minimize the force of the hit or avoid delivering the check altogether.

The one-game decision was reached, in part, because Orlov wasn't injured on the play and Bellemare had not been previously suspended.

Game 4 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.