Ducks’ Josh Manson fined for throat-slash gesture

Ducks defenseman Josh Manson was fined for making an inappropriate gesture toward Toronto forward Nazem Kadri on Thursday night.

Manson made a throat-slashing gesture at Kadri after Kadri was penalized for boarding Manson at the end boards in the third period of a 6-5 overtime loss in Toronto. Manson was fined $2,486.56, the NHL announced.

Manson was given a game-misconduct penalty and the Ducks, already without injured defensemen Simon Despres and Kevin Bieksa, went down to four defensemen for the rest of the game. Bieksa sustained an upper-body injury early in the game and did not return.

His status is not immediately known but the Ducks have rookie Shea Theodore available to play and could soon get defenseman Sami Vatanen back after an upper-body injury.

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Update: The Ducks’ defense is banged up and lighter in the wallet after Manson was fined for making a throat-slashing gesture toward Toronto forward Nazem Kadri on Thursday night. Coach Bruce Boudreau did not know whether Bieksa and Vatanen are available. Without several key penalty killers, Anaheim allowed a season-high three power-play goals Thursday, and its 10 goals against are the most in any back-to-back games this season.

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Ryan Kesler remained at home because of a personal matter and his return is to be determined by him, a team spokesman said. Forward Chris Stewart has been skating and could return from a broken jaw that has kept him out since Feb.11. Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson has an NHL-leading 62 assists, 23 on the power play, although the Senators have not scored a power-play goal in 11 straight games. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf, out because of a lower-body injury, is among a handful of injured players for Ottawa, which has four wins since the trade deadline.

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