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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The salary cap is going up and business is booming, but still the NHL often gets the most attention for ugly stuff that happens on the ice. Ugly was front and centre Saturday night during the Boston Bruins-Pittsburgh Penguins game that led to two suspensions and three players on the injured list. But instead of expressing concern over Shawn Thornton and James Neal, the leagues board of governors gave vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan a thumbs up for his handling of discipline. "I believe the sense of the room is that Brendan Shanahan and the department of player safety has the confidence of the board of governors. He certainly has my confidence," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Its about modifying an element of the games culture and we think weve made positive, dramatic steps forward." When Thornton is suspended following an in-person hearing Friday, it will be the 19th ban this season that costs players at least one regular-season game. The first 18 suspensions added up to 77 games, including Neals five for kneeing Brad Marchand in the head. But Shanahan told the board Tuesday that among roughly 55,000 hits over the course of a year, only 50 to 100 are problematic. General managers have noticed a major change over time. "Youre not going to rid yourself of suspensions and what have you, but weve certainly come so much farther," Nashville Predators GM David Poile said. "I mean, look where we were. Ive been around for a long time, and some of the stuff that happened in the so-called old days, to where we are now, its so much better for the players and a so much better game." Its a different game, too. Some of the same hits that used to be acceptable are now spelled out as illegal. Shanahan has taken to producing videos showing examples, something that earned praise from Bettman. "My guess is people dont analyse the things he does in the detail that he does, and if you study the videos that hes put online, the specific instances where supplemental discipline is imposed or the more general tapes that hes put online explaining what the standards are of play, people should take a great deal of comfort that were being extraordinarily proactive," Bettman said. The next step could be harsher punishments as more of a deterrent for players. But general managers didnt display much of an appetite for change in that regard. "If managers and the board of governors want the suspensions to increase, I think that thats a direction theyll certainly give me," Shanahan said. "I can say from my perspective that I think that players do feel the effect of the suspension. Whether its two games or a lot more games, I think that players dont like being in that position, they dont like the game being taken away from them." General managers dont want the game taken away from its roots, either. Shanahan gave his usual update on player safety on the second and final day of the board of governors meeting at the Inn at Spanish Bay, and Peter Chiarelli of the Boston Bruins emphasized that the league can absolutely have hitting and progress with safety at the same time. "You can have both and you should, and theres a respect factor that the players have to adapt, and they are," Chiarelli said. "Theres a physical component to the game. Its just going to be a continuing challenge. Youre going to have discussions like these, youre going to have incidents like these. It may be longer suspensions, but you cant have a physical game without having these things." New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said Monday evening that the onus is on players to follow the rules. Its his hope that maybe the fear of a season-long suspension will stop some of the violence around the league. Poile believes the incidents in the Penguins and Bruins game represented much more of an isolated incident than a trend. "I would think that the type of thing that Neal did, I cant even remember seeing something like that," Poile said. "And Shawn Thornton, he seems to be a stand-up guy, always seems to play his role really well. Hes already said he made a mistake, and hes going to pay for that. He knows that. And I dont think that stuff is going to happen very much. You cant say never, because its a physical game and thats why we partially like the game. Stuff is going to happen." How much stuff has happened was what Shanahan updated the board on Tuesday. As for the future of suspensions, it wont be much different right away. "There has to be the due process and it has to evolve and stuff," Chiarelli said. "You cant just say, All right, lets change the template. You cant say that. Its not fair to the process, its not fair to all the parties. You guys talk about trends and opinions on certain trends, and we do the same thing. In due course that will manifest itself." In addition to talk about player safety, deputy commissioner Bill Daly provided the board with a logistical update on the Sochi Olympics and a joint evaluation of substance-abuse policy between the league and the NHLPA. The deaths of Rick Rypien, Wade Belak and Derek Boogaard in the summer of 2012 prompted a look at how players mental health is handled. "We commissioned jointly with the Players Association and co-operated with them on an independent review of our program and I reported on the results of that review today," Daly said. "The bottom line is the report was good, that the program is doing what it is intended to do, it is helping players and former players in times of need." Daly updated the governors on what to expect from the Olympics and during the NHLs break, along with some logistical elements. Bettman said the governors were briefed on the leagues discussions with the NHLPA about reviving the World Cup of Hockey but predictably did not have any new information to share. "I think its no secret that we collectively believe having a world cup on a regular basis makes sense, the specifics were not there yet on," Bettman said. Bettman reiterated the NHL has no formal plans to expand beyond 30 teams, though he did spend a good portion of his time with reporters fielding questions about expansion. He did not rule it out in the near future. "Were getting lots of expressions of interest and no decisions have been made to do anything other than listen," he said. "We havent embarked on a formal expansion process, but when people want to talk to us we listen." Jarrod Dyson Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Kansas City Royals Jerseys . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. http://www.mlbroyalsjerseyteamshop.com/ ... ersey/.com) - Nicolas Colsaerts fired an 11-under 60 on Thursday and grabbed a 3-stroke lead with the opening round of the Portugal Masters suspended by rain. Billy Butler Jersey . Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. Trevor Cahill Jersey . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.ATLANTA -- The Red Sox are headed home with a new streak and renewed optimism. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run single during Bostons four-run seventh inning, and the Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 on Tuesday night in their latest comeback following their longest losing streak in 20 years. Dustin Pedroia had three hits and Grady Sizemore went 2 for 5 with a go-ahead groundout in the seventh. The Red Sox snapped their 10-game losing streak on Monday, overcoming a five-run deficit to top Atlanta 8-6. Now they have a winning streak and a feeling that its their turn for some good breaks as they prepare to play two games against the Braves in Boston. "Its good for our self-esteem," said Jonny Gomes, who singled and scored on Bradleys hit in the seventh, and then had a highlight-worthy catch in right field in the eighth. Jon Lester (5-6) snapped a personal two-game losing streak by giving up three runs and eight hits in six innings. "To come here ... with that streak and end up getting two (wins) here is really big," Lester said. Koji Uehara worked the ninth for his 11th save. "More than anything, our guys are having fun playing the game," Boston manager John Farrell said. "It was a tough 10-game stretch we came through but theres been plenty of energy kind of injected back in the dugout." Farrell said bloop hits by Gomes and David Ortiz in the seventh were good signs that luck has changed for the Red Sox. "It was good to see maybe the worm turn a little bit with runners in scoring position," Farrell said. Braves starter Aaron Harang left with a 3-2 lead after the sixth. Anthony Varvaro (1-1) took the loss. Jason Heyward hit a first-inning homer and Chris Johnson drove in two runs for Atlanta. The Braves had two injury scares. Catcher Evan Gattis was a late scratch after straining his right wrist in batting practice. He sat on the bench with a brace. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons left in the eighth with inflammation in his rigght ankle.dddddddddddd "We dont see anything that is long-term," manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Simmons and Gattis. Simmons said the pain was "just a nagging thing. So hopefully it stops nagging." Harang gave up seven hits before Boston tagged the Braves bullpen in the seventh. Varvaro gave up one-out singles to Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia before left-hander Luis Avilan was summoned to face Ortiz. Ortiz, batting .283 against left-handers and .263 versus right-handers, hit an RBI single that made it 3-all. A day earlier, he homered and drove in four runs at Turner Field. He drew loud boos in the eighth when he grounded out and then broke his bat over his knee. After Ortiz tied it, Gomes blooper to right field loaded the bases. Sizemores broken-bat groundout drove in Pedroia for a 4-3 lead. After an intentional walk to David Ross, Bradley singled. The rally made a winner of Lester, who agreed with Farrells description of his outing as a "grind." "I made some decent pitches when I had to and minimized damage when I had to," Lester said. The Braves loaded the bases in the second but didnt score. Harang hit into a double play, and Heywards grounder to Pedroia ended the inning. Sizemore doubled with one out in the fourth and stole third. Gonzalez challenged the call, but a replay review showed Sizemore was safe. Ross hit a single that made it 2-all. Freddie Freemans first triple of the year set up the Braves go-ahead run in the fifth. Justin Upton walked and Johnson hit a blooper that fell in right, turning into a run-scoring forceout at second. Gomes delivered the defensive highlight of the game with his diving catch on Gerald Lairds sinking liner in the eighth. NOTES: Heywards homer was the first allowed by Lester to a left-handed hitter in 180 at-bats, including post-season games, since July 18, 2013. ... 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