That's where I'm at, too. Seeing the replay again, I also don't think the "slew foot" was really that bad, since Thornton basically supported his weight and feathered him down to the ice. I think it's more the idea of dragging someone down to the ice and wailing on them that's the most offensive, but watching the quick forearm, and the subsequent half-hearted punch, I have no idea how the guy left the ice on a stretcher. It looked like the forearm nicked the tip of his nose, and that was it, but maybe there's just no good angle. Again, though, the idea of taking someone to the ice and going about it that way means he's going to deserve a stiff punishment. As I mentioned in the gamethread, though, they could go through that sequence a 1,000 times and not have it end the way it did. If Orpik gets right up, Thornton may have ended up with a double minor at worse.
I think the stiff punishment to Neal is the preamble to a huge suspension, maybe 20-25 games. I don't agree with it, but I'd understand it. The league has to protect itself, although the league is also partially to blame by its wanton punishment standards.