Pens' Asham and Neal likely face suspensions

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NHL Lord of Discipline Brendan Shanahan will have his hands full of Penguins on Tuesday.

In all likelihood, ex-Flyer Arron Asham will be done for the series with a major suspension.

Asham faces an in-person meeting with Shanahan in New York City for his first period cross-check on Brayden Schenn.

After Schenn fell face first to the ice, Asham jumped on top of the rookie and punched him in the back of the head, drawing a match penalty.

It was unknown whether Asham will waive his right to appear in New York and accept a phone call instead.

Considering what its going to cost Asham, he might as well take the phone call and save some bucks.

Skill forward James Neal has two separate phone hearings scheduled, which likely implies a suspension as well.

Neal had dual hits on Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier in the third period. His blind hit that targeted Couturiers head, when he left his feet, is of greater concern to the Flyers than charging against Giroux.

Also, the Pens' Craig Adams faces an automatic suspension for an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of the game.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette had a subdued reaction when asked about all this on Monday.

I dont like seeing my players hit like that, he said.

Should Neal be suspended?

Thats not my jurisdiction, he said.

Giroux thought both Neal hits were out of character for a 40-goal scorer.

The one on Courturier, kind of a late hit and he was aiming and kind of jumped at the same time, and I think it was a pretty dirty hit, Giroux said.

At the end of the day, its not something we can control. If he wants to go out there and throw some bodieswere just gonna make sure to stay focus on what we can do and we did a pretty good job of that in the first three games.

E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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