NHL suspends Wild's Marcus Foligno two games for 'unacceptable' kneeing of Winnipeg's Adam Lowry

Marcus Foligno has 627 penalty minutes in 644 games over 11 NHL season and, despite a willingness to drop the gloves, had never been fined or suspended.

Until now.

The Wild winger got a two-game suspension from the NHL Department of Safety on Thursday for a Tuesday post-fight incident where he pressed his left knee into the head of the Jets' Adam Lowry as linesmen separated the two in the third period of a 2-0 Wild loss in Winnipeg.

Foligno will miss home games Saturday against Carolina and Monday against Detroit before resuming play, ironically, in Winnipeg on Wednesday.

Video of the incident clearly showed the offense.

The NHL explained the suspension by saying, "With the outcome of the fight already having been decided, and Lowry unable to take further defensive action, Foligno lifts his leg off the ice, moves his knee over Lowry, and drops it into [Lowry's] head, driving Lowry's head into the ice. This is an intentional decision by Foligno, and not a player falling or stumbling onto his opponent. Foligno clearly and intentionally uses his knee to inflict force on the head of his vulnerable opponent.

"We have heard Foligno's argument that this was not a violent knee strike or an exceptionally forceful blow and we agree. It is only the relative lack of force on this play that keeps Foligno from being subject to much more severe discipline for an action that is unacceptable for an NHL player to perform."

Foligno will forfeit $31,000 of his $3.1 million salary, with the money going to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

The 30-year-old has a career-high 17 goals this season, his first as an alternate captain. He practiced Thursday, but his spot on the Jordan Greenway-Joel Eriksson Ek line was taken by Brandon Duhaime as the Wild clearly anticipated a suspension.

After Tuesday's game, Foligno said, "It was just heat of the battle and [I was] just a little ticked off. You shouldn't resist once the linesmen get in there just for the respect factor, but it is what it is. You've been in enough fights. I've held off. I've had it done to me. It just is what it is."

The Wild's struggles on the dot were magnified Tuesday when it won only 14 of 49 faceoffs (28.6%). For the season, the Wild is 23rd in the NHL at 48.2%.

"It's a concern for sure," coach Dean Evason said. "We're gritty, we're determined, and it's not just the centermen per se, it's the second and third opportunity to get the puck. We consider ourselves a gritty group, and we have to get better in that area."

Eriksson Ek has taken the most draws and is 344-365 (.485). Ryan Hartman, a converted winger who centers Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, is 246-299 (.451). Third-line center Frederick Gaudreau is 183-183 and fourth-line center Nico Sturm is 166-150 (.525).

"It's addressed on almost a daily basis," Evason said. "In order for us to continue to get success, we do have to get better at it and continue to work at it."