Sharks John Scott gets two game ban for altercation after legal line change

So much for that suspension free start, eh?

Just hours after the proclamation above from Nostradamus Wyshynski, the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks took to the ice in a game that saw a total of 165 total penalty minutes being handed out between the two teams. A majority of PIMs were given just over midway through the third period.

Anaheim's resident tough guy, Tim Jackman, exited the box after serving a double minor for roughing San Jose's Marc-Edouard Vlasic. As Jackman skated though the neutral zone, John Scott made a legal line change and went straight for Jackman, to which the Ducks player obliged.

Both players were tossed, but only one was sent to the principal's office the next day. Scott received a two game suspension for his troubles.

Here's Patrick Burke of the NHL's Department of Player Safety explaining the particulars for the repeat offender:

Scott will miss out on just slightly over $17K in salary for the Sharks next two games at Colorado and at Minnesota. He's already matched his goal scoring career high at one goal. The Sharks will be fine without him (maybe?).

Few things to think about. The NHL has told linesmen to jump into fights before they start happening. They did just that throughout the game between the Ducks and Sharks. They didn't see this one coming? If Scott skated around in circles first and then went at Jackman would there still be an issue?

Perhaps the bigger loss in all the mayhem of Sunday's game was for the Ducks. Defenseman Ben Lovejoy fought Joe Pavelski, and appears to have broken his hand in the bout. Lovejoy will be out for an indefinite amount of time. An already shaky defense just got a whole lot shakier.

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