Avery says sloppy seconds and gets 6 games, Brashear illegally breaks the face of Betts, he gets 5 games… REAL FAIR

And what kind of discipline will be handed down to the Refs and Linesmen that blew that call?!

Posted by Big Rich from Westbury, NY on 04/27/09 at 03:06 PM ET

Post says Captain Chris Clark will replace Brashear so this helps the Caps big time.

Posted by eric from baltimore on 04/27/09 at 03:07 PM ET

So Cammy intentionally elbows Havlat , attempting to take head off. and gets nothing?

The suspensions are purely based on how hurt someone is rather than the intention of the person committing the act.

Posted by Shawn from Calgary on 04/27/09 at 03:30 PM ET

Good.  I think it’s absurd to think that the game will go soft by banning high and late hits.  Get rid of them, and an even faster and cleaner game will result. 

Also, consistency on suspensions would be great.  Too many of similar types of hits are just completely ignored when they don’t result in an injury.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 04/27/09 at 03:31 PM ET

Once again, the league sends the wrong message.
Players: Don’t hurt anyone. Hit them all you want. Head? cool, from behind? cool, late? cool. Just don’t hurt anyone!

Posted by Kstewy16 on 04/27/09 at 03:34 PM ET

Post says Captain Chris Clark will replace Brashear so this helps the Caps big time.

Silly. The Caps commit the offense and the Rags come out the worst for it. They lose a good PKer and speedy player in Blair Betts, and the Caps gain a heart-and-soul type player back.

They should have to sit out Semin or Backstrom or Green.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 04/27/09 at 03:41 PM ET

So I guess we should be hearing about the Dubinsky suspension for taking 4 strides to board Mike Green any second now…

Posted by Right Winger from Arlington, VA on 04/27/09 at 03:41 PM ET

It was actually more than I thought it would be. I thought he deserved 1 for the pregame and 7 to 9 for the hit but would only get one for the pre-game thing and then maybe 2-3 for the hit. But I have low expectations of league officers. Not sure if the possibility of the PA filing a grievance factors into the decision. Maybe that is what league thought it could do without the PA making a stink of the whole situation and possibly having this thing overshadow the playoffs. Not saying that thinking is right, just that maybe its their mindset until the summer.

Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 04/27/09 at 03:43 PM ET

In light of the horrible inconsistency in assessing penalties, I think this is a joke.  Give him a game for the pregame crap, and another or two for the hit… but FIVE?  Are you kidding me?

I like how you can punch guys in the face and not get anything just because the ref sees it but doesn’t feel like calling it… but man, missing the All-Star Game is an automatic one-gamer…

Posted by Primis on 04/27/09 at 03:44 PM ET

I like how you can punch guys in the face and not get anything just because the ref sees it but doesn’t feel like calling it… but man, missing the All-Star Game is an automatic one-gamer…

Or how Pronger and Niedermeyer can literally try to kill Tomas Holmstrom on the same play (’07 playoffs) and only get suspended one game between them.

Deserved or not, if this was done by one of the NHL’s “golden boys”, no way it’s a 6-gamer.

Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/27/09 at 03:51 PM ET

5 games for a repeat offender?  Wow, good job Mr. Campbell, good job.  Get over it, you were fired how many years ago?  Stop punishing the Rangers just because you are upset

Posted by bsalamon on 04/27/09 at 04:03 PM ET

5 games for a repeat offender?  Wow, good job Mr. Campbell, good job.  Get over it, you were fired how many years ago?  Stop punishing the Rangers just because you are upset

Sorry, but I don’t see how 1 game is any different of a punishment for the Rangers than 20 games, as far as the Rangers are concerned.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 04/27/09 at 04:14 PM ET

“He (Brashear) obviously has a presence on the ice and makes guys look behind them when he’s on the ice,” Green said.

(copied from ESPN article)

This is exactly why this suspension is warranted.  Players should be worried about making plays and keeping the puck away from the other team, not worrying about having their season ended.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 04/27/09 at 04:18 PM ET

More than I thought.  Too bad other players don’t also get longer suspensions for head shots.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/27/09 at 04:24 PM ET

Colin Campbell , Bill Daly & Bettman are a trio of idiots.

Lunk head Brashear gets 6 games

2 years ago Pronger leaps and elbows Holmstrom , and gets 1 game.

Equal justice for all......yeah right.

Posted by dbcooper from parts unknown on 04/27/09 at 05:12 PM ET

If the hit Pronger put on Holmstrom wasn’t enough in the WCF in 2007, how about the shot he gave Dean McAmmond against the Sens during the 2007 Finals.  He onlly got a game for that one too (repeat offender?).  If I remember correctly, McAmmond suffered a concussion from the hit.

Posted by mike from detroit on 04/27/09 at 05:42 PM ET

“Case by case,” Colin Campbell?  You’re friggin’ nuts.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 04/27/09 at 06:00 PM ET

Excessive.  Nothing for the biting however?  Strange.  I get a suspension somewhat even though the hit itself was clean (though late and on a “unsuspecting player")...but usually they reserve that unsuspecting bit for a boarding suspension.  Brashear is an enforcer, but usually you don’t enforce against not really physical defensemen.  It’s a distraction no doubt but not really a game changer.  If Lundqvist stands on his head this game then ovechkin may finally shut up...probably not.

Posted by stoneman from Vegas on 04/27/09 at 10:09 PM ET

The league needs to get consistent. I don’t think 5 for that hit is unreasonable in a vacuum, but it bears no resemblance to the suspensions doled out for similar situations in the playoffs. A certain player comes to mind…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzC05QuAkZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hzlI1TqL6w

Posted by false_cause from DC on 04/27/09 at 11:54 PM ET

Yeah, but false_cause, Pronger only elbows people ‘cause of physics, so it’s like, not his fault.

I’m still waiting for the suspension to Perry for the combo move he had last night with a flying elbow into a hit from behind on two different players, back to back, in about 2 seconds.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 04/28/09 at 07:49 AM ET