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?

I apologize to the hockey betting world for the above title, but we all know that’s what’s going through each of our minds after watching the trainwreck that was the Canadiens vs Bruins NHL odds. I’m assuming none of us saw it live — who was still watching that stinker after the second period — but we likely all saw Carey Price’s Patrick Roy impersonation when the Montreal faithful gave him the Bronx Cheer.

Sorry for the lack of sound, but you can hear the boos in your mind, right?

What do you hockey betting fans think of Price’s reaction?  It wasn’t as pathetic as Roberto Duran saying “No mas” in his boxing odds days, but it certainly wasn’t a proud moment. Bob Gainey understandably stood up for his goalie, saying he was “being bullied” and “fought back.” I can’t help but think Price would’ve showed much more strength by calmly soaking in the boos and remaining stoic (less “Roy vs Detroit,” more “Roy versus Florida when they threw rats at him in the 1996 Stanley Cup odds final). He’s on a slippery slope now if he makes the Montreal online betting fans his enemies.

Can Price bounce back in 2009-10 or will he become another Jose Theodore in M-T-L?

You have to admire Kentucky Derby odds horses. As soon as they hear that gun (horse race betting has gun shots, right?), they get going with no hestitation. While the stakes aren’t the same for us humans — a hesitation doesn’t put us in the glue factory — I figure I should apply that principle to NHL playoff betting. The series have started, with a game in the books everywhere, so let’s just jump in and start commenting.

* Mats Sundin needs to find his legs soon. It was forgivable when he scored just 28 points in 41 regular-season games with Vancouver, but his lack of speed and reaction time in Game 1 was concerning. He needs to be an important contributor for the Canucks odds to really go anywhere.

* Milan Lucic is a somewhat polarizing player in that some people love him and build him up, almost to the point of overrating him, while others get pissed off about his overhype and love to hate him. Whatever you think of him, online betting fans have to love what he did in Boston’s Game 1 win over the Habs. Forget the two assists, even — the kid is just built for the playoffs. He was a terror in the corners, throwing his body into anything that breathed. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles himself on the road; it’s always easier for a player like him to feed off the crowd at home.

* Chris Osgood took the first step toward quieting his NHL betting critics last night, making a pile of serious saves in Detroit’s win over Columbus. If he finds himself in time NHL playoff betting, the Red Wings odds look pretty damn good right now.

* It’s only one loss, but there was something…I dunno….eerie about the Sharks’ Game-1 loss at home last night. Nobody wanted to play the Ducks in the first round and the Sharks have that choking history…gulp. Still way too early to right them off at the sportsbook; they remain my Stanley Cup odds pick.

* Relax, Flames odds detractors. Calgary will be fine. There was no way the NHL attendance leader Hawks were going to lose Game 1 in front of a wild crowd that hadn’t seen a playoff game since 2002.