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Should Patrick Marleau be suspended for Bryan Rust hit?

josh cooper

The San Jose Sharks finally had their feet under them and started to roll against the Pittsburgh Penguins after the first period in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Patrick Marleau’s late second period goal tied the game at 2-2 and San Jose’s early game woes, where they allowed a 2-0 lead, seemed over.

Then early in the third period Marleau hit Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust with a shoulder near Rust’s head.

From that point on the Penguins seemed to come alive. Pittsburgh fired 18 shots on goal in the third period to San Jose’s nine shots on goal. The Penguins also took 27 shot attempts to the Sharks' 17.

Pittsburgh’s speed game culminated with Nick Bonino’s game-winning goal with 2:33 left in the third to deliver a 3-2 win and take a 1-0 series lead.

Rust left the game for concussion protocol according to NHL on NBC's Pierre McGuire, then returned to the bench, then eventually left for the rest of the game.

"Obviously we lost him for the rest of the period. He's day-to-day with an upper-body injury," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "It's a blindside hit to the head. He gets a penalty. I'm sure the league will look at it."

After the game, Marleau said he didn't believe the hit would merit any discipline.

“I don’t think so. I kept my shoulder in and elbow in and everything. I just kinda let him skate into me," he said. “I wanted to keep everything down. Didn’t get too up high. I haven’t seen the replay yet.”

Could this hit earn a suspension? Marleau was given a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head. If he has to miss any time, this could be a turning point in the series. 

Marleau does not have a suspension history and is a two-time Lady Byng Trophy finalist. Members of the NHL's Department of Player Safety were reportedly at Game 1. 

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!