Predators' Sissons won't be suspended for Game 6
The Nashville Predators will have Colton Sissons at their disposal Sunday in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The forward won't be suspended after being issued a match penalty at the end of Game 5 for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta in the face, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.
Colton Sissons on not being suspended: "It's a relief, I was hopeful, but you never know. I'm here to play hockey and now I can." #Preds
— Thomas Willis (@TomAWillis) June 9, 2017
Things got ugly at the end of Thursday's blowout, the Predators losing 6-0 to go down 3-2 in the series, and Sissons was tossed after catching Maatta up high.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan announced Friday that Maatta's fine.
Sissons' match penalty carried an automatic one-game suspension pending review by the league, which decided to rescind the ban.
"I watched it play out. I saw Maatta cross-check (Sissons)," Predators head coach Peter Laviolette said, according to The Tennessean's Adam Vingan. "Colton cross-checked him back. Maatta cross-checked him again, and it looked like they were doing it somewhere in the midsection. On the last one, Maatta seemed to slip and his head dropped. I don't think there was any intention there whatsoever."
The DoPS agreed.