The Toronto Maple Leafs forward was disciplined for boarding Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
The incident occurred at 6:57 of the first period. Clifford was given a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct at 6:59.
"I want Cliff in because of his physicality and what he brings," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. "That's part of it. He made a poor decision in that instance."
Clifford will miss Game 2 at Toronto on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSUN) because of the suspension. The Maple Leafs lead the best-of-7 series 1-0 after a 5-0 win Monday.
Colton remained in the game and played 14:34. He had two shots, three hits and was minus-1 in the loss.
Clifford had four points (one goal, three assists) in 23 games for the St. Louis Blue and Maple Leafs this season. He won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014.
"'Cliffy's been great for us. He plays hard, he's got experience, he's made playoff runs with really good teams," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said. "It doesn't change your opinion of the guy. He goes out there, he plays hard. That's how he's always been. I don't think his teammates think twice about it."
Michael Bunting will replace Clifford in the Maple Leafs lineup in Game 2. The forward missed the series opener and the final three regular-season games with a knee injury, but practiced on the top line Tuesday.
Bunting led NHL rookies with 63 points (23 goals, 40 assists) in 79 games this season.
NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger contributed to this report
