Pens v Canucks (L 1-3)

Captain Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have an afternoon meeting with Captain Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. But first, enjoy these photos of yesterday's practice sent in by Friend of The Show Danielle F.:

I went to the Pens' practice this morning at Southepoint and there was a well-missed face participating in a FULL PRACTICE!! Whitters is back! I'll attach some pics for ya!!

The first pic is of Whitters back on the ice:


The second is of Tanger, Whit, and TK:


The third is of Saint Siddo celebrating a shootout goal on Sabou:


The fourth is of Sabou:


The fifth is of Mad Max playing goalie against Cooke, Dups, Godard, and TK:

Oy. Frustrating. Infuriating. BIZARRE.

This was the strangest game we've seen the Pens play all year. The occasional pattern in recent games has seen our Boys playing great in the first two periods of play then falling apart in the third. Today we witnessed the total opposite. And then there was all that fighting...

FIRST PERIOD

It all began when Matt Cooke flattened Alexander Edler at the boards. (Edler actually went head over heels from the impact.)


Then the Cookie Monster hit another guy, and all hell broke loose. It was a mere 25 seconds into the game when there were 3 brawls on the ice. When the officials regained control, the following penalties were issued:

• Penguin Penaltys @ 0:25
• Tyler Kennedy : Roughing - 2 min
• Tyler Kennedy : Roughing - 2 min
• Brooks Orpik : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
• Matt Cooke : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
• Matt Cooke : Game misconduct - 0 min (ejected from game)

• Canuck Penaltys @ 0:25
• Alexandre Burrows : Roughing - 2 min
• Alexandre Burrows : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
• Ryan Kesler served by Steve Bernier : Roughing - 2 min
• Ryan Kesler : Roughing - 2 min
• Jannik Hansen : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
• Jannik Hansen : Game misconduct - 0 min (ejected from game)

I suspect we haven't heard the final word on punishments for some of these players for this melee... Head Coach Michel Therrien nearly stroked out on the bench after Cookie was ejected. He felt that Cooke wasn't involved in a separate fight, rather he intervened to protect his teammate when Hansen became a third party in an existing fight. Nevertheless, Cookie was escorted to the runway where, once in the tunnel, he used his stick like a baseball bat to smack the crap out of the wall.


The Pens ended up with the power play, but Geno Malkin hit the goal post and Luongo was a freaking beast to keep the game scoreless. Then a few seconds after the 5-on-5 resumed, Shane O'Brien was called for roughing and Superstar Max Talbot was called for looking at a guy the wrong way slashing. Bob Errey, who was between the benches today, rightly suggested that the officials were quick to call penalties now to re-establish their authority and gain control. Even so, more scrums kept breaking out until finally, Errey asked the question we all were thinking: "Where is all this hatred coming from?!" Neither team scored on the 4-on-4.


As the coincidental penalties ended, Daniel Sedin was given a delayed penalty for hooking our title man. As the Pens got one shot on Luongo, he stretched out in a completely unremarkable manner to make a save. Something definitely went terribly wrong, however, because Luongo lay on the ice sprawled out and unable to move. Canucks and Pens staff members rushed to the felled goalie's aid, but he required the assistance of two of his big teammates to get off the ice and back to the dressing room. He was replaced with Curtis Sanford, and the Pens' power play began. Despite a great chance for Saint Siddo, the Pens didn't score. Sanford immediately tried to buy an advantage for his team when he fell easily to the ice after Mattias Ohlund shoved Jordan Staal into him, but the refs didn't bite.



The Canucks did get a power play when Ruslan Fedotenko was called for slashing, but they didn't score on their advantage. Siddo missed out on a beautiful chance to redirect the puck into the goal; the Canucks took it the other way and Dany Sabourin made a stunning save. Tyler Kennedy, Gronk, and Eric Godard developed a 3-on-2, but Godard's shot went wide. Then Edler was called for delay of game after sending the puck over the glass, but the Pens didn't capitalize on their advantage. Then, with just 1:55 in the period, Pavol Demitra, who was behind the net, knocked the puck out of midair. It went up and over Sabou's shoulder while Demitra was rushing to the other side of the net. He got there for his own rebound and put it in the net. [Pens 0, Canucks 1]



SECOND PERIOD

Sid knocked the puck out of midair at center ice and was able to create a 3-on-2, but Sid's attempt at a centering pass for Superstar was blocked. Hal Gill was called for tripping, and despite the fact that Superstar lost his stick, the Canucks didn't add to their lead. There was a long period of end to end hockey. Right off a faceoff, Brooks Orpik lost his stick due to possible interference. This led directly to D. Sedin being able to score a goal after he got a shot that Sabou blocked then got to his own rebound. [Pens 0, Canucks 2]


After trading icing calls back and forth for a few minutes, Sid went hard to the net but Pascal Dupuis couldn't get the puck to him. With just under 2 minutes left in the period, a 3-on-2 in favor of the Penguins drew a hooking penalty on Edler. The Pens didn't score on their advantage.

THIRD PERIOD

Edler still had 0:10 left in the box, but the Pens didn't score on their abbreviated power play. Right after they returned to full strength, however, Mike Zigomanis (who Cookie Monster says looks like a Geico caveman) bounced the puck off Sanford and into the net. [Pens 1, Canucks 2]


Rob Scuderi was the lone man back and defended the net beautifully when the Canucks got an odd-man rush. The Pens finally opened the door offensively, but unfortunately it was to no avail. The refs pocketed their whistles as guys took liberties on both teams. With about a minute left in the game, Sabou was pulled in favor of the extra attacker. Soon afterwards, Mad Max was going after the puck in the corner when Ohlund drilled him low and from behind, sending Superstar head first into the boards. (THANK GOD he was okay.) No penalty was called, and this whole incident led directly to Demitra being able to score an empty netter, so naturally there was a scrum. [Pens 1, Canucks 3]


Max was led off the ice with 0:11 second left in the game, and he (like Cooke earlier) used his stick like a baseball bat to smack the crap out of the wall. As the game ended, there was more fighting, and there were more penalties handed out:

• Penguins Penalties @ 20:00
• Mike Zigomanis : Slashing (maj) - 5 min
• Mike Zigomanis : Game misconduct - 0 min

• Canucks Penalties @ 20:00
• Shane O'Brien : Slashing (maj) - 5 min
• Shane O'Brien : Game misconduct - 0 min

GEESH! Such disdain! The Penguins don't play again until Wednesday when they face the New York Islanders.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!