Ducks Jarkko Ruutu gets one-game suspension

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The NHL suspended Ducks forward Jarkko Ruutu for one game for delivering a late hit to Nashville Predators forward Martin Erat in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series.

The incident occurred four minutes into the second period and Ruutu was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play. The Ducks won Wednesday’s game 6-3 to tie the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle told reporters, “To me it’s absurd that there’s even mention of a hearing when a guy has a shoulder-on-shoulder bodycheck and the player passes the puck and they’re saying it’s so many tenths of a second that they allow.

“That this was two-tenths or three-tenths of a second past the allowable point, it’s kind of mindboggling at times.”

Ruutu’s suspension will be served Friday night when the Ducks host the Predators in Game 5.

Erat did not travel with the team to Anaheim and Nashville Coach Barry Trotz blamed Ruutu’s hit for what is being described only as an upper body injury.

Trotz, at Thursday’s practice, called Ruutu a “five-minute player” who took out a valuable Nashville player. Erat tied for a team-high with 50 points in the regular season, and has three points in this series despite having four teeth knocked out in Game 2.

The Times’ Lisa Dillman was at the Ducks’ practice Thursday and will have all the details later on latimes.com/sports.

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-- Debbie Goffa