Donald Brashear Suspended Six Games For Breaking Faces

Six! One for pushing Colton Orr and five for a late hit on Blair Betts—so he'll miss Tuesday's Game 7 and most (maybe all?) of the next series if they win.

Most observers were guessing a one- or maybe two-game suspension, since it is the Stanley Cup playoffs, where everything is magnified x10,000. Similar hits have drawn two or three games in the regular season and even though the hit on Betts was clearly a late blow, the intent to injure was not blatantly obvious. But Betts did break his orbital bone and he was knocked very silly (he won't play tomorrow either) and the NHL probably figures this is a great time to send a message, the Capitals further playoff hopes be damned.

Washington Capitals' Donald Brashear earns six-game suspension [ESPN] Time To Get Serious About Head Shots [TSN]