Bruins' Zac Rinaldo suspended five games for check to the head of Cedric Paquette

Halfway through the period of the Bruins vs. Lightning game on Sunday night, Zac Rinaldo checked Cedric Paquette in a pretty questionable manner. The NHL has announced today that he will be suspended for five games as a result of this hit:

"Rinaldo steps down from his defensive position and delivers a high hit, making the head the main point of contact, on a hit where such head contact is avoidable...while we accept Rinaldo's argument that he is attempting to deliver a legal, full-body check on this play, Rinaldo mistimes this hit, leading to him taking an angle of approach that makes Paquette's head the main point of contact."

Since Rinaldo is a repeat offender, he gets five games. Fine.

Will this prompt the Bruins to keep Rinaldo in the AHL for the rest of the season, so his suspension carries over to next year? They certainly won't want to waste one of their only three remaining callups on a guy who has to sit for five games. Paquette is okay, so this is a win-win for everyone.

Better luck next time, Rinaldo.