It was surreal Monday night at Joe Louis Arena when Todd Bertuzzi's elbow came up and connected with the head of Chicago's Ryan Johnson. There was a loud roar. Who doesn't like a big hit? But it was followed by silence when it became apparent what actually transpired.
And much of it was concern for Bertuzzi, not Johnson.

Johnson didn't appear to be hurt that seriously (he didn't suffer a concussion and eventually skated to the bench). but Bertuzzi could have been in trouble under the circumstances.
It drew a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. The call was a proper one. Bertuzzi's elbow was way too high. It was not a smart play in any sense on his part.
But because the NHL has been cracking down on head hits, there might have been a suspension here (there wasn't). It could have been a long one, too, given Bertuzzi's status as a repeat offender because of the hit he levied on Colorado's Steve Moore in 2005 that ended his career.
Harsh discipline is getting more consideration than it would have in the past because the game's marquee player Sidney Crosby has been out with concussion symptoms, the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty and Matt Cooke's elbow that cost him the rest of the season and the first-round of the playoffs.
Bertuzzi is a very good player. He has helped the Red Wings immensely with his skill, but his hands are tied in a sense when it comes to using something the Red Wings desperately need - his size.
The Moore incident is still hanging over his head. There is a much-publicized (at least in Canada) civil trial set to begin in the next month or two in Vancouver. You can imagine Moore's lawyers might use a clip of Monday's incident in trial, even if afterward most people didn't see the hit done with intent to injure.
The NHL has long had an issue with balancing the aggressiveness of play that is so undeniably part of its success with player safety and maintaining the skill-level of the sport.
I don't think it's ever been as conflicted as it is right now in regard to Todd Bertuzzi, however.