Arron Asham suspended four games (cool), James Neal suspended one game (what?!)

I'll accept a four-game suspension for Arron Asham. It feels about right, given the nature of his attack on Brayden Schenn, his lack of suspension history, and previous precedent. I'm okay with knowing that he'll be out until the Conference Semifinals, provided the Penguins can come back and win four straight games against the Flyers.

I am not okay with a one-game suspension for James Neal, however.

According to Brendan Shanahan, the league is willing to accept Neal's assertion that his hit on Sean Couturier was the result of protecting himself against an unexpected collision. Let's look at the exact Shanny quote, because this shit is too hard to believe without it:

While we are willing to accept Neal's assertion that, on this play, he jumped to brace himself for an unintended collision, the fact that 42 seconds later he launches prior to making contact to Giroux, is not acceptable.

Oh, and Neal has a history, by the way.

To put it another way: "Oh hey, you know that bank robber who just got outta jail? The one who robbed that bank at 1 o'clock? Yeah, his fingerprints were all over that other bank at that other bank robbery at noon, but he says he didn't do it. I think we'll take his word for it." Idiotic.

Whatever. Let's make sure we don't play this guy again til next year, eh boys?