Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has been suspended one game for roughing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph Thursday night, NHL Player Safety announced Friday afternoon.

Larkin received a match penalty for punching an unsuspecting Joseph in the second period of Detroit’s eventual 7-6 loss to the Lightning.

The punch came seconds after Joseph drove Larkin head-first into the boards in the Red Wings’ end. Larkin got up from the hit and threw a punch at Joseph as he was skating by.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos called the move a "sucker punch" on Joseph, who played two more shifts in the second period but did not return for the third. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said the team is hoping Joseph will be alright.

“Obviously, he’s mad about you know the borderline hit there, but there’s different ways to go about it," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said.

“You can grab a guy and then punch him in the face. But it’s just an unsuspecting guy, it’s a sucker punch.”

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said he believes it should be taken into account that Larkin kept his glove on when punching Joseph.

“I mean, a punch with a glove on - I don’t know, maybe I’m old school - I don’t think I am,” Blashill said. “There’s a lot of punches without gloves on, I think it’s way different if a guy hits a guy with his gloves off than with his glove on.”

Joseph was not penalized for his hit on Larkin, but he and Jan Rutta both received roughing minors in the ensuing scrum.

"Say what you want about the Joseph hit, there was no penalty called at all," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. "Then the melee starts, and there's the intent to injure, and for us to come out of that four-on-three was mind-boggling to me. I don't know how that got rewarded, but it did."