It's possible to guess precisely where the ball will settle when a roulette wheel is spun.
It also is possible to predict how the NHL's Dept. of Player Safety will rule on a particular case.
It's just a lot more difficult.
So good luck trying to figure out what punishment Evgeni Malkin will receive for cross-checking Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki in the face Sunday, knocking him out of the Penguins' 3-2 overtime victory and, apparently, making several of Borowiecki's teeth unrestricted free agents.
Now, Borowiecki plays a physical game, is a former member of DOPS's frequent-offender club and can be the kind of guy who makes opponents want to drive the shaft of their sticks into his mouth.