On Thursday, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of the second round for his hit to the head on Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1. Stoll did not return to the game and did not play in Game 2. This is the fourth time Torres has suffered the wrath of the disciplinary committee of the NHL over his 11-year career, with all of the suspensions coming in the last three seasons. As a member of the Phoenix Coyotes last season, he received a 25-game suspension (which was later dropped to 21 games) for a high hit on Chicagos Marian Hossa in the playoffs. Earlier that season, he was banned two games for charging against defenceman Nate Prosser of the Minnesota Wild. And during the 2010-11 campaign with the Vancouver Canucks, he was suspended four games for a hit to the head of Edmontons Jordan Eberle. Suspensions are meant to be a deterrent for illegal and dangerous play and as such, repeat offenders are punished more harshly to make sure the message is received. But what if the message is not getting through? If suspensions are not enough, how many should a player be allowed before a lifetime ban is issued? Torres is not the only NHL player with multiple infractions. Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins has also been suspended four times over his 14-year career for a total of 25 games. His biggest suspension came near the end of the 2010-11 regular season when he hit New York Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh in the head and was forced to sit for the remaining 10 games of the season as well as the first round of the playoffs for a total of 17 games. In 1927, Billy Coutu of the Montreal Canadiens was banned for life after punching a referee in the Stanley Cup final and, despite being reinstated years later, never played another NHL game. More recently, Jeff Kugel of the Windsor Spitfires was handed a lifetime ban in 1998 after he left the bench to join a line-brawl and continued to chase players around the ice as his opponents looked on in fear. The suspension was later reduced to allow Kugel to apply for reinstatement at seasons end. This season, Brett Cook of Nipissing University was banned for life from Ontario university hockey after punching a linesman. These were one-time incidents in leagues where the players didnt have representation. The NHL Players Association now plays an active role in the NHLs suspension process, including the ability to appeal harsher decisions through an independent arbitrator. Should there be a benchmark whereby if a player surpasses a certain amount of suspended games, a lifetime ban kicks in? Perhaps the NHL should institute a graduated process where suspensions are doubled with each additional infraction, up to a certain point where a lifetime ban is the only option left. How much is too much? How many suspensions or games lost due to suspension should a player be allowed before a lifetime ban is issued? As always, its Your! Call. Adidas NMD R1 Womens Raw Pink . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Fake NMD R2 . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/wholesale-pharrell-adidas-nmd-hu-china.html . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Adidas NMD Human Race Sale . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Adidas NMD Discount . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. NEW YORK -- For a team thats historically been known for pitching, speed and defense, these St. Louis Cardinals sure are hitting a lot of home runs lately.Especially Jedd Gyorko.Gyorko connected again, launching a two-run drive off Noah Syndergaard that sent the Cardinals over the New York Mets 3-2 Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.Gyorko homered for the sixth time in eight games, giving him 13 this season.Hes amazing. Hes doing a great job, manager Mike Matheny said. Hes an interesting player. I dont think people realize how good he is.The Cardinals lead the NL in home runs with 137, matching last years total. The last time they led the league was 1998, the Elias Sports Bureau said, when Mark McGwire hit 70 of their 223.No one on the Cardinals is among the league leaders in home runs, but eight players have reached double digits.We have a lot of guys with 20-plus potential, Matheny said. Not every team can say that.St. Louis has homered in 16 straight games, its best streak since a team-record 19-game string in 2006.The Mets played at home for the first time since the All-Star break and lost in a matchup of NL wild-card contenders. Citi Field was nearly empty at the start, a day after a rainout forced the twinbill.New York lost despite throwing out three runners on the bases and manager Terry Collins winning a pair of replay challenges. The Mets have alternated wins and losses for the last 11 games.I dont know how many times I got to say it, this is crunch time, Collins said. Say whatever you want, this is the time where we got to win games, string them together, win eight out of 10.Carlos Martinez (10-6) gave up a two-run homer to Rene Riverra and left after the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead.dddddddddddd. Three relievers finished, with Seung Hwan Oh getting his fifth save in six chances.Curtis Granderson led off the Mets ninth with a single but was thrown out trying to tag up on Yoenis Cespedes drive that Tommy Pham caught in deep center field.Syndergaard (9-5) has won only one of his last five starts. The All-Star had a tough sequence in the second -- he got hit in the lower right leg by Phams one-hop single to load the bases, then made a wild, off-balance throw home on Martinezs comebacker to let a run score.Gyorko was hitless in his previous 10 at-bats when he connected in the third.The Cardinals opened a 10-game trip that also takes them to Miami and Cincinnati. They arrived at their New York hotel around 8:30 a.m. Monday after plane trouble, and the rainout gave them some much-needed rest.This was the Cardinals second doubleheader in a week, and their first against the Mets since 1999.26TH MANThe Cardinals recalled RHP Sam Tuivailala as the 26th player for the second game. Hes made three relief appearances for St. Louis this year. The Mets brought up 27-year-old lefty Josh Smoker -- hes made 43 relief appearance for Triple-A Las Vegas, and has never been in the majors.UP NEXTCardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (7-6, 3.98) pitches Game 2. He is 2-1 with a 1.29 ERA in five career starts against the Mets. Thats his lowest ERA vs. any opponent.Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon (8-5, 3.48) faces the Cardinals in the second game. He went 0-2 with a 15.58 ERA against them last year. ' ' '