Rangers’ Hagelin suspended 3 games

NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan cleared the first two cases from his busy plate Sunday by suspending New York Rangers left wing Carl Hagelin for three games and Ottawa Senators defenseman Matt Carkner for one.

Hagelin received a major penalty Saturday for an elbow that knocked Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson out of the game.

The Rangers rookie said his elbow came up as Alfredsson raised his stick to brace for the hit, but Shanahan said, “We do not feel this is a reasonable excuse for the elbow that took place.”

Hagelin, who had no previous disciplinary action, said he texted an apology to Alfredsson.

“I never tried to hurt anyone on the ice,” he told news reporters before the ruling came down. “That’s not the type of player I am.”

The Rangers, in a statement, said, “We are thoroughly perplexed in the ruling’s inconsistency with other supplementary discipline decisions.”

Ottawa coach Paul Maclean told reporters Alfredsson was feeling better but a decision on his Game 3 participation hadn’t been decided.

Carkner went after Rangers forward Brian Boyle, who had an earlier fight with Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

“Carkner begins punching Boyle and continues to do so well after it is clear that Boyle is an unwilling combatant,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan will talk today with the Chicago Blackhawks’ Andrew Shaw, who charged Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith on Saturday.