Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin has been suspended four games for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki in the face.

The NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension Monday after holding a hearing with Malkin about the play. In a video explaining the suspension, the league called Malkin’s cross-check “retaliatory and aggressive.”

Malkin was initially given only a four-minute double-minor penalty after striking Borowiecki in the mouth with his stick at the end of the second period Sunday.

“It’s an emotional game out there,” Coach Mike Sullivan told reporters after the game. “It’s physical, and sometimes that stuff happens. It was a physical game, especially at the net fronts in those areas where that took place.

“Obviously, we don’t want our best players in the penalty box, but these guys are competitive guys and they push back. We’d prefer they be on the ice. They give us a better chance when they’re on the ice, for sure. But one of the things we love about Geno is how competitive he is, and so when you get an emotional game like the game we had today, those things happen.”

This is Malkin’s second suspension after a one-game ban for high-sticking in 2019. This one costs him $190,000 in salary.

He’s eligible to return April 23 against Detroit.

The Penguins beat the Predators in overtime to snap a four-game skid. They have lost seven of their last 10 games and are in danger of falling out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and into an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

KINGS: Defenseman Drew Doughty will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his wrist.

The former Norris Trophy winner had surgery, the team said. He is expected to be ready for training camp, but his absence damages the Kings’ hopes of ending their three-year playoff drought.

Doughty was injured March 7 in a game at Boston, and he hasn’t played in 16 consecutive games since March 10. The defenseman has rarely dealt with significant injury problems in a 14-year NHL career spent entirely with the Kings, but he appeared in a career-low 39 games this season.

MONDAY’S GAME

JETS 4, CANADIENS 2: Evgeny Svechnikov scored a tie-breaking goal midway through the third period, and Winnipeg won at Montreal.

Morgan Barron had a goal and an assist and Paul Stastny also scored for Winnipeg. Adam Lowry added an empty-net goal, and Dylan Samberg had two assists.

Starting back-to-back games, Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves.

Josh Anderson scored his 100th career goal for Montreal, and Joel Armia added a goal against his former team. Samuel Montembeault kept the Canadiens in the game with 31 saves, including 15 in the second period.

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