Pens Points Monday: Dust Settling, Blue Jackets Tonight

Here we are on a Monday morning, welcoming another week of hockey following a weekend everyone would like to forget (or preferably make un-happen). The dust is still settling from Saturday's melee in Boston, and disciplinary hearings will be underway today. Everyone and all their friends have now opined on it. It is overwhelming and depressing, so just a few chosen links for this morning:

Thoughts from Meesh at PensNation: always a voice of reason and smart, level-headed analysis, even though I root for Wisconsin and he for Penn State so we don't like each other on Saturdays

From Ryan Lambert at Puck Daddy: RIP The Code

Gary Bettman interview with TSN on Sunday evening: just as nonplussed as you thought it might be

And oh loogit, hockey has made it to The New York Times: trying to defend the indefensible;

Brooks Orpik is placed on the IR with a concussion and Brian Dumoulin re-called from WBS.

Chris Kelly has a broken ankle, presumably caused by Pascal Dupuis. Loui Eriksson has a concussion as well, his second in two months, and is expected to miss 5 weeks.

Brendan Shanahan calendar is full, what with James Neal's phone hearing today, Dion Phaneuf's phone hearing tomorrow, and they still have to schedule an in-person visit with Shawn Thornton.

Amidst all this, the Pens season continues. Blue Jackets tonight. Here's your official preview.

And lastly, and looking ahead to our matchup against the Red Wings on Saturday. Wings' site The Production Line is holding their Pledge Drive to benefit Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation. They select a few games and Wings fans can pledge a few bucks for a Datsyuk goal, Kronwall hit, etc. Saturday's game vs. the Pens is on their list and I've pledged $50 for every Sidney Crosby point in that game. It's for the children, so go pledge!