Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov suspended 2 games

Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was suspended for two games after an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay forward Conor Sheary, the NHL announced Monday.

The hit occurred Saturday during the Lightning’s 5-3 win over the Panthers, just before Florida defenseman Josh Mahura scored a goal. Because the infraction wasn’t called on the ice, the tally counted temporarily.

After the infraction was reviewed and changed to a match penalty for elbowing, the goal was disallowed.

“I’ve never seen one of those,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the loss. “But that’s the beauty of the National Hockey League. They will always surprise you with something.”

Kulikov, 33, is in his second stint with the Panthers, signing a free agent deal over the summer. He has 16 points and is a plus-9 player for a team that has been in first place in the Atlantic Division most of the season.