The Flyers will not have Matt Niskanen for Game 6 of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Canadiens.
Considering the circumstances and factors, the length of his absence could have been worse for the Flyers.
On Thursday night, Niskanen was suspended one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety for crosschecking Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher during the third period of the Flyers' 5-3 loss Wednesday in Game 5.
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Here were the major points in the league's review of the play following its hearing with Niskanen:
The Canadiens announced Thursday night that Gallagher suffered a broken jaw and will miss the remainder of the series.
The Flyers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 set for Friday (7 p.m. ET/NBC).
NHL
The 33-year-old Niskanen has been a critical piece to the Flyers' turnaround in 2019-20. The steady, all-situation blueliner with a Stanley Cup ring makes up the Flyers' first defensive pair alongside Ivan Provorov.
Losing Niskanen for a game is a considerable loss, one that shouldn't be underestimated even if Niskanen hasn't played his best in the series. However, if eighth-seeded Montreal wants to upset the top-seeded Flyers, it must now do so without Gallagher over the final two games. The 28-year-old winger is a two-time 30-plus goal scorer and was tied for the regular-season team lead in markers with 22.
Expect Shayne Gostisbehere to enter the lineup in Niskanen's absence. Gostisbehere has two assists over three games in the NHL's return-to-play 24-team tournament.
It's uncertain which blueliner will join Provorov on the team's top pair.
Here's how the Flyers looked on defense in Games 3-5:
Ivan Provorov-Matt Niskanen
Travis Sanheim-Philippe Myers
Robert Hagg-Justin Braun