Kinda like that horse Rachel Alexandra entering the Preakness Betting, my hockey punishment opinions come out of left field at times. My main gripe, one I’ve stressed for years in hockey betting circles, is that the NHL punishes cheap shots based on injuries rather than actions.

Take the cheap shot in last night’s Hurricanes vs Bruins sports wagering matchup, for example. Scott Walker brutally suckerpunched the helpless Aaron Ward late in the game, dropping him to the ice like a ton of bricks and (possibly) breaking a bone in Ward’s face. The punishment: a $2,500 fine.

What do you think the punishment would’ve been had Ward hit his head on the ice and suffered serious brain drama leading to death, as Don Sanderson did?

The fact that it didn’t happen that way doesn’t make what Walker did any less dangerous, does it? If a player doesn’t suffer career or life-threatening injuries, you can bet at the sportsbook that the NHL won’t hand out a serious suspension to the perpetrator. How can you set an example when you let plays like Walker’s suckerpunch go? One or two isolated incidents — the best example would be Steve Moore’s — clearly haven’t scared the NHL betting goons enough. Any player who attempts a surprise attack like Walker’s should be treated like Todd Bertuzzi if you ask me.

Am I alone here? Anyone want to take a break from placing online sports bets and weigh in?

With all the sportsbook attention devoted to the dwindling Dodgers odds (hint, hint, baseball betting lines followers) and basketball betting, we need to nurture each series in NHL betting with some — you guessed it — playoff musings. Let’s get to it.

- Well, this blog joined the many sport betting online fans who challenged Evgeni Malkin to step up in the Penguins vs Capitals odds…and he did it. With his crazy parents jumping up and down, he was far-and-away the best player on the ice last night, firing about 4.598 shots on sensational Simeon Varlamov and finally scoring a goal. He was the man for sure — but he isn’t out of the woods yet. It’s relatively easy for a slumping superstar to get amped up with 18,000-plus people cheering for him to succeed. How will he respond Saturday when the hockey betting series shfits back to Washington?

- I have to admit, I didn’t expect Eric Staal to be winning the battle with Zdeno Chara in the Hurricanes vs Bruins odds. Hmm. Maybe there’s a chink in Boston’s armor after all — an over-reliance on the big feller? I haven’t noticed Dennis Wideman all playoffs, so you have to wonder if it’s time for the Bruins to pursue another 30-minutes-per-night defender. If I’m Peter Chiarelli I start shopping Patrice Bergeron in the offseason.

- The Wings are gonna be fine. We mortal sportsbook bettors are in a huff over the disallowed goal from Game 3, but these guys are Stanley Cup odds champs. They’ll be over it the moment the pucks drops on Game 4.

- If I’m wrong and the Red Wings odds somehow flop, what does it mean for the Canucks’ Stanley Cup odds if Detroit bows out? I still think there’s plenty of work left to do against Chicago, but some sportsbook oddsmakers could push the Canucks to the top of the heap if the Wings lose.