<p>NEW YORK — Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron was suspended two games Sunday for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde.</p>
<p>McCarron was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head and thrown out of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ross-colton-rocco-grimaldi-nhl-nashville-tampa-bay-lightning-024c64efb0efd4b59c29eea9b562b6d3">game Saturday night</a>. He struck Gourde in the head with his left shoulder with 26 seconds to go and the Lightning leading 3-0.</p>
<p>The NHL’s department of player safety <a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/mccarron-suspended-two-games/t-277440360/c-8050703">called</a> the head contact avoidable. McCarron will miss Nashville’s games Sunday against Dallas and Tuesday against Tampa Bay and be eligible to return Thursday against Carolina.</p>
<p>McCarron will forfeit $12,069 as part of the suspension. It’s the first supplemental discipline of his 74-game NHL career.</p>
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