Hey, go easy on Sidney Crosby. At least that’s the message from Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero.

Matt Cooke’s hit on Boston’s Marc Savard during the Penguins’ 2-1 victory over the Bruins Sunday afternoon is a prime example of the “gray area” involving hits to the head that NHL GM’s will try to clarify as they meet this week in Florida.

With a suspension to winger Matt Cooke looming, the East’s second-best team embarks on a five-game, 3,601-mile odyssey that will pit the defending Stanley Cup champions against four conference foes in one week.

Boston Bruins center Marc Savard was diagnosed with a grade two concussion Monday and is likely done for the year after Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke took a cheap shot in a game over the weekend. Savard was third on the Bruins in scoring this season with 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) and was +2 in over 18 minutes of ice time per night. Savard’s 17 points on the power play (six goals, 11 assists) led Boston as well

The Penguins version of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Penguins right winger Bill Guerin was back on the ice at Monday’s optional practice and appears a reasonable bet to play in Raleigh on Thursday against the Hurricanes.

Filed under: Bruins, Flyers, Oilers, Panthers, Penguins, Wild, NHL Videos, NHL DisciplineWhile everyone is yelling for Pittsburgh Penguin Matt Cooke to be suspended — rightfully so — for his dirty hit on Boston’s Marc Savard Sunday, we should all take some stock as to how we got here. Over the last 10 months or so, numerous incidents have called into question the NHL’s ability to hold any sort of consistent line on supplementary discipline.

Here’s Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins destroying Boston’s Marc Savard.

During Sunday’s NHL affair between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke destroyed Boston’s Marc Savard on a nasy hit. Savard ended up leaving the game with a concussion but appears for now that he is okay and the Bruins will be re-evaluate his condition when the team flies back to Boston. We will keep you updated if the NHL decides to suspend Matt Cooke or not.

The recent Olympic Games might have been the last for NHL players, as no agreement is in place between the league and the Players’ Association to allow them to participate in the Olympics. This is ultimately what NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants.