Colaiacovo left the game immediately with an upper body injury and did not return. Arvidsson received a major penalty and a game misconduct.
Watch: Preds’ Arvidsson ejected for a cross check to the throat of Colaiacovo (updated)Another day, another cross check to the neck area.
On Saturday night Predators rookie Viktor Arvidsson received a five minute major and a game misconduct for his cross check to the throat of Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHMk33bonRs[/embed]
Colaiacovo immediately went to the Sabres room and did not return to the game. The Sabres announced he was out with an upper body injury.
The 32-year-old blue liner had two assists in 14 games entering Saturday's game.
Jamie McGinn and Sam Reinhart scored power play goals on the ensuing man advantage.
Arvidsson, who was recalled by the Preds earlier in the day, was playing in his 11th career NHL game.
“Carlo is doing OK. He got the cross check to the throat. He did go to the hospital; he’s there now. I guess they’re saying he has a dented trachea,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said postgame. “I don’t think there was intent there to maliciously cross check, but (Arvidsson) kind of leaves the puck, turns and his stick is right at that level and it’s a… he delivers the blow. When you look at it, it’s a pretty stiff cross check to Carlo’s neck.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky was suspended one game on Saturday for his cross check to the neck area of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on Friday night.