Did Lapierre Deserve More Than Five Games?

For everyone who was expecting Maxim Lapierre to get at least six to seven games for his head hit on the Sharks' Dan Boyle, including me, you all were off by one game.

The St. Louis Blues forward was suspended for five games by Brendan Shanahan for his hit on Boyle that sent him to the hospital. NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan brought down the penalty after an in-person hearing with the Blues forward. This meeting would only be called if the suspension could top five games, but Shanahan ultimately decided that five was enough.

Along with his video on the ruling, Shanahan also noted that Lapierre's previous four-game suspension back in March 2010 for a similar type of hit also ruled into play. However, since that was outside the 18-month period that would have him as a repeat offender, he will not have a higher suspension that this one. Lapierre will have to forfeit $28,205.15 in pay and he has already served one game of his suspension, that being the Blues' game Friday night against the Jets.

This is the second in-person hearing that has happened this season. Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was suspended for 10 games and is currently appealing. Avalanche forward Cody McLeod is scheduled to have an in-person hearing sometime next week for his hit on Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall.

Lapierre didn't exactly get off light. I would've expected him to get six games or more because he did have an in-person hearing but I guess Shanahan thought that five games were enough for him to learn that. I think he deserved more than five games. He hit him on the numbers, which isn't exactly a legal hit and it did send Dan Boyle off on the stretcher. Then again, he's not a repeat offender and he shouldn't be getting a big punishment. Five games is better than nothing, but I would've liked to see six or seven games for what he did.