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So the suspension was levied yesterday and even though everyone knows it already, the NHL and Mario Lemieux aren't happy about Cooke's behavior. 5 suspensions for Cooke means he gets 10 games and the first round of the playoffs. That's all I'm gonna say about the matter.
"I made a mistake. I'm the one that's accountable for that. I take full responsibility for it. I'm sorry to my teammates, my management, my coaching staff and my organization. It's something that, moving forward, I'll make different." - Matt Cooke.
Sidney Crosby, grant them the strength to defeat your enemies.
Fines and suspensions finally got levied out for the debacle on Friday on Long Island. Trevor Gilles is only getting 9 games for what is virtually assault and battery. Thanks Colin Campbell and Bettman for nothing. Bettman wasn't even at the hearings.
Then Martin, Martin only gets 4 games and a fine, for basically trying to level Talbot from behind unexpectedly. Martin claims Talbot saw him in time but I call b.s on that one. A lot of reports show that he actually tags Talbot with the shot but I didn't see it, it looks like Talbot dives to avoid it after seeing the glove slide by him. Either way, this should of been more than 6.
The Islanders ownership is also fined $100,000.00 for the incident so that's something at least.
Eric Godard received his 10 game suspension as per the 70.10 rule in the rulebook about leaving the bench or penalty boxes. Not really a surprise, and even though we need every forward we can get, I honestly can live without Godard. Even though he does stick up for his team, Johnson didn't need the help on Friday, and we're down a forward due to it.
The good news from all this? Bylsma does not get suspended for his actions against the Islanders and will be coaching the team today against the Rangers.
346 Penalty minutes, from 14 fighting majors, and 21 game misconducts. What the hell...? I said the Isles were expecting to get physical, but this was an all out brawl Royal Rumble style.
"The first half of the game, was a hockey game." said Dan Bylsma during the post game press conference, "The second half of the game, was not. I certainly did not anticipate the third period looking like that." When Bylsma was asked if he expected the game in April to be similar, "It's tough to forget a game like that." Hopefully, we don't get another fiasco like the show in Long Island last night when the Penguins go back April 8th, it was a disgrace.
Between Gilles at the end of the game taunting an injured and concussed Tangradi, Martin making a run at Talbot near center ice trying to sucker punch him, the slash on Letangs right knee before the end of the first period, the fact that the Islanders kept taunting Fleury in the 2nd period and coming down and giving him crap, OR the fact that they did run Johnson into the net twice, one time taking out both him and Letang, but this game pissed me off to new heights.
Gilles taunting Tangradi, fan filmed:
Right out the gate in the first period, it looked like we were going to be treated to a long, cold night on Long Island, and that could not have been more true. Speaking of gates, by the end of the game, an iron gate was put up in the runway between locker rooms. The Isles came out tough, as was expected, there was good hitting in the first, but unfortunately for the Penguins, there was a lot of offense... 4 goals by the Isles they slipped passed Johnson in the first. Talk about getting revenge for a fight. Johnson did stop a penalty shot but that's basically about the extent of Johnson's saves.
Sadly that wasn't it. When the second period begins, we're barely three minutes into it before 2 more goals are scored. After an all line scrum, Bylsma decides to put Fleury in, and honestly, I have absolutely no idea why he even bothered to shake Fleury's confidence. As expected, the Isles were not going to let up in this game and they end up dumping 2 more past Fleury himself. The Penguins did get 2 goals off of a 5 minute Power Play after the first all team scrum. Letang and Staal tallied the power play goals.
In the video above you basically get the run down of all the fights, penalties, the cheap run, everything. You also get the Tangradi hit that leads to his concussion symptoms, and the fact that Gilles is a complete and utter asshole. You also see Haley and Johnson fight, as Big Brent Johnson will fight you if you come at him, I can only presume that was the other reason why Disco Dan put BBJ back in the net, the first being to save Fleury from these animals.
After the second all line scrum and another 5 minute power play situation for the Penguins. Tyler Kennedy scores another goal, whoopdedoo it's 8-3. The fighting didn't end after the second all team scrum. Vitale got into it at the end, in what was literally the longest Pens game of the regular season so far, that didn't go into overtime. I blame the ref's and coaches not knowing what to do with who was left.
By the end of this game I think the Penguins had about 2 guys on the bench, 5 guys on the ice, with guys in the box through the whole game basically. Despite all of that, Vitale still threw down, I guess he was feeling left out.
So Thursday Bylsma receives his 100th win as a Penguin's coach. Friday night Bylsma is treated to a $10,000.00 fine and is under review for an automatic Suspension. He watched his team fall into utter disarray until Goddard spared him anymore punishment by leaping off the bench to 'save' Johnson, who doesn't need saving. Goddard gets an automatic 10 game suspension and Bylsma is asked to leave. Not too big of a deal I guess considering Godard hasn't performed well and only basically instigates at this point, we have Engelland for that. Tangradi, as I said above suffered a hit in the final minutes of the third period, and is suffering from concussion type symptoms. This means that the Penguins have lost 2 more forwards and have already made an extra call up from Wilkes-Barre for tomorrow's afternoon game against the Rangers.
The good news? Talbot and crew don't seem to be too dejected from this game, as they were all smiles riding in the Cab's to Central Park to practice on an outdoor rink today. The team dressed at MSG but after their bus encountered an accident had to get off and get the cabs. Hard birthday for Talbot last night but he's a hockey player and he'll get over it.
I leave you with Steigerwalds disgust at this game. One of Steigerwalds finer moments, especially after the first period he said P.A Parentaeu was his friggen boy. Steiggy...
So there it is. The hit that cost us another winger for 4 games. A hit that Cooke shouldn't of made, but shouldn't of been suspended 4 games for either. What is this the NFL where we pick on the Pittsburgh team for being too aggressive? It was a charging call, that Tyutin knew was coming, Bylsma even saw it in his eyes that he knew it was coming. Gets up uninjured and plays every subsequent shift.
Yet we're stuck without Cooke for 4 games. Add that onto a long list of Injury names and pretty soon one of us is going to be out there playing forward for the Penguins. Kunitz going down last night with his lower body injury, Asham being out, Testu, Crosby, Malkin on long term and now Cookie out for 4 games, leaves this team in terrible shape and puts even more of a daunting task on them to play .500 hockey down the stretch.
Cooke knows what he's doing, he knew what he did there, and he knew he caused even more trouble by starting a fight after the hit. He should of slowed up and not even taken the penalty. They spot each other before Cooke is even at the faceoff circles and they still collide and Cooke still leaves his feet to make the hit. A lot of time to dial down the speed, a lot of time to decide not to take the penalty, but the choices are made, and now he sits.
Ton's of people everywhere are screaming for Cooke's banishment from the frozen lands of the NHL. Others, mostly Penguins supporters, say that the suspension is too much for the penalty. No matter what side of the fence you sit on the fact remains, stupid penalty during a game full of stupid mistakes and short comings, leads to a suspension and even more detriment to the Penguins.
The clouds will clear and the sun will shine again soon on the Penguins, but can they survive until then?
