NHL playoffs: Busy day ahead for Brendan Shanahan?

By Allan Muir

Two days into the NHL playoffs and the wheels of justice already are turnin'.

Multiple sources are reporting that Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference faces a hearing with the Department of Player Safety this afternoon at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss an elbow he allegedly delivered to the head of Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski on Wednesday night.

Well, maybe not so allegedly. See for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Aq5kTC2XpY#at=13

Ference wasn't penalized on the play. Grabovski, however, was forced to spend some time in the quiet room before being allowed to return to the contest.

Pretty tough for Ference to defend himself here, so I have to believe that Shanahan will sit him for a game, possibly two, as a result. That likely would lead to Dougie Hamilton drawing in for the Bruins in Game 2 tomorrow night.

No word yet on whether New York Islanders' center Marty Reasoner will earn a sit down with Shanny for his cheapshot on Pittsburgh's Jussi Jokinen in their series opener last night, although Arthur Staple of Newsday says he doesn't see one forthcoming. Can't argue with his point -- the contact wasn't knee-on-knee -- but it was clearly reckless and caused an injury (though we don't yet know the extent).