Just as the Colorado Avalanche look to be hitting their stride, the NHL sticks their stick out and trips them.

And in case you missed the hit that brought the Gabriel Landeskog suspension, here you go:

The NHL also handed Brad Marchand a $5,000 fine (the max the league can hand out) for his sucker punch, the league’s first sucker-punch fine since giving one to Antoine Roussel of the Dallas Stars last year.

But while most people think Landeskog’s suspension was all but a sure thing, it sure wasn’t to me. Maybe I’ve got burgundy-tinted shades on, but  that hardly looked like Landeskog was trying to injure Marchand. Honestly, I’m not even sure he saw him. Landeskog never lowered his shoulder; he never even altered his path. It was as if he was just skating towards a spot on the ice, and Marchand didn’t get out of the way after taking the shot on goal.

And if you look closely right before Marchand throws a haymaker at Landy’s face, I’m pretty sure Landeskog was trying to apologize.

I would understand if the league wanted to hand down a fine — safety first, kids — but if they’re going to make a statement by suspending someone, how is Landeskog’s hit any worse than Dustin Byfuglien’s hit on Brendan Gallagher?

Byfuglien was clearly looking to make contact — he even extended his arm through the hit — and he didn’t even receive a game suspension. How does that work?

Not to mention, Byfuglien actually has a track record of questionable, if not dirty, hits. Landeskog, on the other hand, has none.

If anything, NHL, be consistent.