The Chicago Blackhawks are in danger of losing defenseman Duncan Keith for at least some playoff games.

The NHL announced Wednesday that Keith has been offered an in-person hearing to review his high-sticking penalty Tuesday against Charlie Coyle of the Minnesota Wild.

The league only offers in-person hearings when the potential punishment is a suspension of six games or more. Chicago has five regular-season games left.

After being knocked onto his back during the first period of Chicago’s game at Minnesota, Keith lifted his stick into Coyle’s face. He was given a 10-minute match penalty for intent to injure, an immediate ejection that left the Blackhawks without their top two defensemen. Brent Seabrook missed the game because of an illness.

Coyle needed stitches to close a cut on his nose, which wasn’t broken. He said he was “stunned” by what happened.

“Keep your stick on the ice, right? So obviously there is no room for that, and I’m sure he wants to take it back,” Coyle said after practice Wednesday, sporting a black eye. “But it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. That’s how it happened.”

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Keith has been suspended twice before: five games in 2012 for an elbow to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin and one playoff game in 2013 for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter.

SABRES: Goalie Robin Lehner will miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair his right ankle.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

SENATORS 2, JETS 1: Alex Chiasson and Zack Smith scored, and Ottawa snapped a four-game road losing streak with a victory over Winnipeg.

FLYERS 2, CAPITALS 1: Nick Cousins and Sam Gagne scored in a shootout to lift Philadelphia over visiting Washington.

Alex Ovechkin staked Washington to a 1-0 lead 1:28 into the third period. Brayden Schenn tied it on the power play at 14:32.


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