Blues captain David Backes' grab of Sharks center Joe Thornton's wild, scraggly beard during a dust-up in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday night, a 2-1 St. Louis win, was absolute hilarity. Thornton, as Ottawa broadcaster Dean Brown pointed out, looks like one of the trees from Lord of the Rings. He and teammate Brent Burns have ugly, downright absurd facial hair, and everyone in the world would be calling for them to cut it if they weren't two of the best players remaining in the entire NHL playoffs (although, after Burns' Game 1 giveaway parade, for one day at least it's fair to call mismanagement of the puck a Burns-over) … I continue to have no explanation for the NHL's inaction on hits such as Lightning forward Ryan Callahan's boarding of Letang in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, and Tampa forward Ondrej Palat's boarding of Pens defenseman Brian Dumoulin later in the match. Amid all the lip service about concern over hits to the head and 'concussion spotters' in NHL arenas this year, the league more often seems to go out of its way to excuse offenders than to error on the side of caution on an issue that will continue to be a problem as long as it is treated this way. The fact that a player such as Letang returns to a game following a hit should not impact discipline. Also, just because Callahan doesn't have a disciplinary history does not mean this is not suspendable hit. As several NHLers have told me, even repeat offenders once had a clean sheet. There always has to be a 'first time.' …. As play-by-play great Doc Emrick said when NBC showed this stat the other night, Rangers fans, feel free to look away. Here are the top four NHLers in most playoff games the past five seasons: Brian Boyle (89), Carl Hagelin (85), Anton Stralman (81) and Callahan (72). The Rangers let Boyle and Stralman sign in Tampa without trying to bring them back, according to the players. They traded Hagelin to Anaheim and dealt Callahan to the Lightning. Only Callahan's trade to Tampa can be considered a prudent decision of the four, even if Hagelin's was motivated solely by considerations. Signing Dan Boyle to a $9 million two-year deal with a no-move clause puts teams in those types of predicaments.