[W]ith one double-forearm shiver to Toews’ head, Boychuk might just have changed the complexion of the Stanley Cup final. To be sure, if Toews misses the rest of the final and the Bruins come back to win the series in seven, Boychuk should receive consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy for his second period hit. And as an added bonus, he got away with it, despite the fact Boychuk’s head shot on Toews had Rule 48, Matt Cooke and Raffi Torres written all over it.

The Blackhawks prevailed 3-1 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the series heading to Boston, despite the fact Toews spent the entire third period as a spectator from the Blackhawks bench. If they have to play without Toews, it will be an enormous blow considering all he has accomplished in the past two games. The only thing that would even that out is if the Bruins are without Patrice Bergeron, who appeared to catch a rut in the ice earlier in the game and left to be examined at a Chicago hospital.

But the Bergeron injury was innocuous. The Toews injury was not. This was not Harry Sinden telling Bobby Clarke to go out and slash Valery Kharlamov across the ankles, but it was a reckless, careless, respectless hit that should carry a suspension. But even if the wheel of fortune the league tends to use in these cases lands on ‘Suspension,’ so what? The Blackhawks lose one of their most valuable players and the Bruins lose a No. 4 defenseman. The tradeoff is not even close and the Blackhawks should be livid about it. For a bunch of guys who are supposed to be watching the game as closely as the Hawks and their coach, nobody seemed to see the hit. They were all tying their skates or sucking wind or doing Sudoko puzzles for all we know, but you can bet they will be lobbying for some form of supplementary discipline on Boychuk.

And if Toews could not play in the third period, how could it not be a concussion? Guy gets hit hard in the head, plus guy doesn’t come back to play usually equals concussion, no? And unless either Toews is a very, very quick healer or he and the Blackhawks are willing to risk further scrambling his brain for the sake of a Stanley Cup, it’s difficult to imagine he would be ready for Game 6. And that is a shame.

Campbell continues, and he doesn't "let up."