Devils' Anton Volchenkov suspended for elbowing

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

The slumping New Jersey Devils will be without defenseman Anton Volchenkov for the next four games after NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shananan suspended him for an elbowing infraction.

Volchenkov led with his elbow when hitting Brad Marchand in the side of the head during the second period on Wednesday night. The Boston Bruins winger grabbed his head and slowly dropped to the ice. He had to be helped to the dressing room and was done for the night. There was no update on his condition after the game or on Thursday morning.

Volchenkov received a five-minute major and game misconduct.

"Although Marchand stands 5-9 and is stopping and turning his head away from Volchenkov to avoid the full force of the impending check, that doesn't contribute to or explain the reckless contact to the head on what could have been a legal collision," Shanahan said in his explanatory video.

Volchenkov had a previous suspension on his record: three games in February 2011 for elbowing Zach Boychuk.

Though that happened too long ago to make Volchenkov a repeat offender for the purpose of determining the per-game cost of the suspension, Shanahan did factor the history into his punishment. Volchenkov will forfeit $91,891.88 in pay.

The suspension comes at a tough time for the Devils, who are mired in an eight-game losing streak.

But they received some good news Thursday when X-rays showed that defenseman Bryce Salvador had no fracture in his wrist after he blocked a Zdeno Chara shot on Wednesday night. He is day-to-day.