The San Jose Sharks will be without one of their key players in Game 4. Star forward and sure-fire Hall of Famer Joe Thornton has been suspended for one game as a result of his illegal check on Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek Sunday night.
Late in the second period of Game 3, Thornton was skating behind the Vegas net when he hit Nosek up high with a shoulder-to-head blow long after Nosek had distributed the puck up ice. Thornton was assessed a two-minute minor for the hit.
After the game, Thornton said he “barely touched” Nosek before claiming that his son hits him like that every day.
Thornton laid another questionable hit on Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault earlier in the second period. Long after the whistle blew, Thornton hit the unaware Marchessault from the side, sending him to the ice and causing a large scrum in the process. Thornton was not penalized for this hit.
Joe Thornton hits Jonathan Marchessault long after the whistle blew. No penalty, though. pic.twitter.com/agZjobMXV7
— x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 15, 2019
The Sharks had a hard time keeping their composure in Game 3, and Thornton was one of the main offenders. With Thornton out of the lineup for Game 4, Vegas has an excellent opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead before heading back to San Jose for Game 5.