Is Scott Walker a liar?

Let this be the last I write on PunchGate:

After the NHL announced that Scott Walker's "automatic" 1-game suspension had been overturned, the Hurricanes released a statement containing the following from Walker:

Based on what was said on the ice as I was dropping my gloves, it was my understanding that I was engaged in an altercation.

We are left to infer that this was the basis for Colin Campbell's decision to let Walker go with a slap on the wrist. After all, who would blame a guy for throwing the first punch after a verbal invitation?

But wait... there's more. Go ahead to the 0:57 mark of this video:




Well, that certainly doesn't uphold Walker's end of the story. If anything at all was said, it was Ward jawing at Cullen from close range, while Walker was several feet away and charging into the scrum like a freight train. But Ward never even opened his mouth to speak to Walker directly, as is clear on the video.

Now we have public comments by Ward, calling Walker's explanation "a convenient story that the NHL accepted." He specifically denies any verbal exchange with Walker:

I don't remember a single word being said. I was looking at Matt Cullen. The moment I saw his right hand was when it was about a foot away from my face.

Ward also says that Campbell never contacted him during the review process.

In other words: Colin Campbell took Walker on his word that Ward had invited the fight verbally, without bothering to check with Ward. The absurdity of that process is hard to swallow at first, but it certainly doesn't seem that Ward would make such a claim if it weren't true.

Perhaps Walker thought he heard something like an invitation from Ward, but the video clearly disproves that story. Either Walker is mistaken, or he is a liar who took advantage of Campbell's irresponsible handling of the situation.

Either way, this is just another Walker-style black eye on the face of the league.

Random justice becoming the norm in the NHL

It's hard to know what to make of the NHL's latest foray into the realm of absurd justice.

Scott Walker's sucker punch of Aaron Ward at the end of Game 5 seemed to have all the necessary labels for suspension:

- Walker was the third man into a relatively benign altercation
- Walker rightly drew an instigator penalty, which carried an "automatic" suspension
- Walker dropped his gloves and punched a clearly defenseless Ward in the face
- Ward will almost certainly miss time with severe facial injuries

Seems pretty open and shut, huh? Since a one-game suspension is automatic in this circumstance, Colin Campbell didn't even need to make a judgement call in order to put an end to this situation.

But inexplicably, almost surreally, Campbell actually chose to overrule the automatic suspension and levy a trivial fine against Walker. This to the delight of coach Maurice and GM Rutherford, who joked snarkily with the media about the cheapshot.

It's such a bizarre, over-the-top-inexcusable ruling that all we can do is shake our heads and move on. The three questions that arise now:

1) Will Johnny Boychuk be anywhere near an adequate substitution for Ward against the intense Carolina forecheck?
2) Will Game 6 be marred by retaliation from both sides?
3) If Boston gets behind and a Bruin sucker-punches Eric Staal, putting him out for the Conference Finals, will Campbell have the balls to be consistent and also waive any serious discipline for that situation as well?