Matt Cooke hit puts Barrie out for weeks with knee injury

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Colorado Avalanche defenceman Tyson Barrie will miss the rest of the first-round playoff series against Minnesota and more.

Coach Patrick Roy said after the Wild’s 1-0 overtime win on Monday that Barrie has a medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee and will need four to six weeks to recover. Barrie was hurt in the second period when Wild left wing Matt Cooke delivered a knee-on-knee hit on the open ice.

Roy said he expressed confidence the league will discipline Cooke, who has a long history of suspensions, for the hit.

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Twitter that Cooke has been offered an in-person hearing for the kneeing but said details were to be determined.

Roy called it the “play of the game,” lamenting the loss of his team’s best offensive defenceman. The coach said he thought the play warranted more punishment than Cooke’s two-minute minor penalty.

“I think it would’ve broke their momentum. There’s a key moment in those games. And now we believe that the league will make the right call,” Roy said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think it would've broke their momentum. There's a key moment in those games. And now we believe that the league will make the right call," Roy said.

Barrie had 13 goals and 25 assists in the regular season.