Incomprehensible

 “I don’t know. I can’t figure it out anymore. I don’t even try.”

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, asked about the NHL's silence on an injury to Av forward Andrew Cogliano

In Friday night's Avalanche game versus Seattle, Avs forward Andrew Cogliano stood several feet from the boards, looking down at his skates. The puck was somewhere close and he was trying to play it. From behind, a Seattle player purposefully collided with Cogliano, forcing him awkwardly head first into the boards. Cogliano went down, and did not regain his skates for many minutes.

Aghast - it was clearly a dirty play, I consulted the rules because that's what I do. To wit:

 Rule 603 Boarding

(Note) Boarding is the action where a player pushes, trips or body checks an opponent causing them to go dangerously into the boards. This includes: Accelerating through the check to a player who is in a vulnerable or defenseless position and driving an opponent excessively into the boards with no focus on or intent to play the puck, or any check delivered for the purpose of punishment or intimidation that causes the opponent to go unnecessarily and excessively into the boards.
     The onus is on the player delivering the check to avoid placing a vulnerable or defenseless opponent in danger.

(a) A minor plus a misconduct or major plus game misconduct penalty shall be assessed for boarding an opponent.
     “Rolling” an opponent along the boards where he is attempting to go through too small an opening is not considered boarding.

(b) A major plus game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to any player who recklessly endangers an opponent as a result of boarding.

(c) A match penalty for reckless endangerment may also be assessed for boarding.

Subsection (b), highlighted for your convenience, seems most appropriate. The Seattle player's intent may not have been to injure Cogliano - his actions in the immediate aftermath argue to his favor - but his act was clearly reckless. Except...

Officials penalized the Seattle player for two minutes (a "minor") and as of this afternoon league officials have not suspended the Seattle player.

Oh... Of no real import on Friday night (Cogliano played regular shifts in the third period) tests showed that Cogliano's neck had been broken.

In game 4 of the series a similar thing happened involving Av Cale Makar and a Seattle player.The Seattle player was injured and did not return to the game. Makar received a minor interference penalty, and was then suspended for a game by the NHL. Go figure.

It isn't absolute consistency that is necessary. Just maybe something less than insanity would do.