GIF: Wild's Matt Cooke hits Avalanche's Tyson Barrie knee-on-knee

Matt Cooke has made great strides to overcome his reputation as a dirty player, cutting his penalty minutes in half over the last three seasons and generally avoiding the blindside hits and other headhunting that earned him the reputation in the first place.

All of that is in question after Minnesota Wild forward connected knee-on-knee with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie in the second period of Game 3 on Monday:

[Credit: TSN]

Cooke received a minor penalty for kneeing, while Barrie left the game in considerable discomfort. He is not likely to return:

Cooke's last suspension was over 18 months ago, so he is not considered a repeat offender under NHL rules.