Allen: Duncan Keith's six-game suspension a reasonable decision

The NHL’s six-game suspension of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was the least the league could do.

Five games would have been too light for a reckless retaliatory high-stick against Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle. You could make a case that the Blackhawks may have actually benefited from a five-game suspension because Keith would be well-rested for the playoffs.

Adding the one playoff game gives the suspension teeth. Adding the one game was fair, given Keith’s history and his action.

There’s no official NHL exchange rate when it comes to comparing the importance of regular-season games to playoff games. But if you use a 5-1 ratio you will usually be in the ballpark.

In other words, a suspension of five regular-season games and one playoff game is the equivalent of a 10-game regular-season suspension.  Some might say the ratio is 3 to 1, making Keith’s suspension comparable to an eight-game regular-season suspension.

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The point is that playoff games are more important and adding that one playoff game to Keith’s tab makes a clear point that the NHL's department of player safety wants to deter this behavior.

Duncan Keith suspended six games for high sticking

“This is an intentional and retaliatory act of violence by a player with a history of using his stick as a weapon,” the DOPS said in its explanation video.

Their position was that Keith had malice when he went after Coyle.

“Keith is looking directly at his opponent, winds his arm back, and then whips it back in a chopping motion, aimed at Coyle’s face,” the video explains.

The video noted that the play was similar to the high stick that Keith delivered to Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter three years in the playoffs. He received a one-game suspension for that action. Keith had also previously been suspended five games for elbowing Daniel Sedin in a regular-season game.

Losing Keith for one playoff game is particularly tough for a Blackhawks team that has been struggling down the stretch, with a 4-5-1 record in their past 10 after Friday night's win. Last season, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, despite the fact coach Joel Quenneville only had unwavering trust in four defensemen.

One of those four, Johnny Oduya, left through free agency. And now the best defenseman in that group is lost for the opening playoff game.

It's in that first game the Blackhawks are supposed to flick the switch that turns on their playoff mode. They needed Keith’s help to make a statement in that game.

Instead, Keith will be a spectator instead of a participant. This suspension is as harsh as it should be; nothing more, nothing less. That makes it a reasonable decision.

PHOTOS: NHL suspension tracker