Rostislav Klesla suspended one game.

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla was suspended one game by the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety for this hit on Nashville Predators forward Matt Halischuk.

While I don't have a problem with the suspension per se and Klesla is a repeat offender that has been suspended in the past for a clipping infraction; it does seem that the NHL is picking and choosing the players that it wants to suspend - the NHL has no qualms about suspending a third or fourth line player - or suspending a fifth or sixth defenseman, however, the NHL doesn't want to suspended a star player when they commit an egregious act and I can think of a few hits or infractions from star players that could have been dealt with in a more punitive manner.

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A tale of two hits

There were two hits on the ice this weekend that have gotten a bit of scrutiny. 

The first one is the hit that Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla put on Nashville Predators forward Matt Halischuk. Klesla was given a two minute penalty on the play and has a hearing on Sunday with the National Hockey League's department of player safety.

With the inconsistency with the National Hockey League’s Department of player safety there is no clue what kind of a suspension or fine we can expect in this situation, Klesla is not really a known superstar so we could expect a one or two game suspension.
This was the hit that Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin put on Rangers Dan Girardi. Ovechkin was given a charging penalty on the hit. I don't think the Ovechkin hit is overly egregious and since he's a super star the league is very reluctant to suspend him so don't count on Ovechkin getting suspended and frankly I don't think as suspension is warranted in this situation. 

Girardi had this to say about the hit: "He hit me in the head first," Girardi said. "I think it was the right call. I'm not sure what it was, whether it was charging or interference or whatever, but my head's there, and he hits it. But I think he was just playing the game hard. I don't know."

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Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa

One year to the day after Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres hit On Brent Seabrook with a questionable hit behind the Blackhawks net Torres laid out Marian Hossa with this hit. The problem is that Torres left his feet to make this hit. The NBC broadcast crew interviewed the Blawkhawks head coach  Joel Quenneville on the bench and it was pretty obvious that he was very angry that four guys on the ice could miss that hit.

You would have to think that Raffi Torres might be looking at a big suspension and the possibility that this could be his last game during the 2012 playoffs, or not. Hossa was carried off of the ice on a stretcher and there was no penalty on the play.