The Straw that Stirs the Drink

Wow, it's nice to have something to write about for once, isn't it? I'm pretty sure there weren't even scrums in the past few games, save for Mike Rupp getting involved for maybe two seconds, but other than that there was nothing for me to feast upon. This place isn't for sweet goals or Sidney Crosby somehow skating on his head because there are sites for that, so if nothing happens? Well, nothing really happens. I suppose I could have wrote about the Mike Rupp sniper show, but that would be TWO whole posts falling away from the true purpose, and that just makes me feel dirty all over.

Did anyone fall asleep during the first period of last nights game? I probably would have if it wasn't for my being so incredibly angry with the Pens performance thus far. It's like our offense is swinging from the Gallows Pole when Brent Johnson is in. I'll let you all take a moment to recover from that atrocious pun, I'm so sorry guys...

Anyway, the Pens were playing horrible again in front of Johnson and nothing seemed to be going their way. The Penguins were doing everything except playing hockey: making sandwiches, filing taxes, text messaging the fine lady (or gentleman, hey, do what you want, I got no problem), they wanted to get with, and singing show tunes. Thankfully, their savior arrived just in time:


[AP]

Don't worry, Sid, papa's gonna make it all right. Apparently, it fell entirely on Chris Kunitz' shoulders to wake the team up in the second period last night. After essentially the first great shift by the Penguins all night, Kunitz finally got into it with someone. This came after plenty of jobbing with Tomas Vokoun, of which, of course, I am totally a fan of. Vokoun is a crybaby that often blames everyone but himself when he has a bad game. He throws his arms up in surrender, scowls at his teammates, or even points at them. I'm excited for the day when a defender just stops and lets an opposing player have a one on one with Vokoun. Anyway, you people aren't idiots, you saw what happened, Keith Ballard drove Kunitz into the ice for smack and Vokoun, textbook defensive play. Kunitz could have let that be the end of it, got up, and got back in the play. He knew there was a chance to get a spark and tried to get something going for his jobbing of Vokoun. What's surprising is this was one of the only times that the Florida defense stood up for their goalie. Then again, maybe that's their response to Vokoun being an asshat? Who knows, have some fists:



We all know how the game turned around from there. The Penguins had more hop than the Panthers, had more shots, and all around played better then the Panthers. Chris Kunitz stirred it up for the Penguins, doing everything except pulling a Paul Bissonnette and shouting "Let's Go!" at the bench, and the Penguins listened. For those people who think fighting does not have a place in hockey, this is the second example I'll show you (the first being Superstar's fight in the Flyer series last year), as to how a fight changes a game. You can literally see two different teams before and after Chris Kunitz' fight. It is only because of Vokoun playing out of his mind that this game went to overtime and a shootout. All this came from Kunitz mixing it up.

Oh, how nice it is to see a fight. It's especially nice to see Chris Kunitz drop the gloves because it's just another thing to shove in the faces of those who think Kunitz is unworthy of top line minutes. Truthfully, I ask you, is there anyone always around the puck, always working, always hitting, always everything, more than Chris Kunitz? Ask Kimmo Timonen what he thinks about this:



Yeah? Sucks, doesn't it? Or ask Semyon Varlamov what it's like to go after a puck with Chris Kunitz buzzing around?



Unbiasedly, I have a problem with what Chris Kunitz does here, but he gets away with it and I'd be lying if I said it didn't help the Penguins. These things happen in mere seconds and don't result in the red light turning on, but they take each player off their game for who knows how long. Maybe Varlamov doesn't come out to challenge someone as much next time when Chris Kunitz is on the ice, mucking in his crease? Maybe Kimmo Timonen forces the puck away a little to quickly when he sees #14 coming and it causes a turnover and a scoring chance for Pittsburgh?

Kunitz stirs the Penguins drink on a lot of nights. I'd go so far as to say that he joins Matt Cooke as a pest for the Penguins (though really, that's not as much of a stretch as I make it seem). As we saw last night, even if he's not burying it (and he will, you don't score around twenty goals in four consecutive years by accident), he's doing everything else on the ice. Kunitz hits, fights, and jobs better than anyone on the Pittsburgh Penguins. His heavy checking opens up space for Sidney Crosby because for once, not only are the opponents of the Penguins afraid of Sidney Crosby making them look stupid and force to always have an eye on him; they're afraid of Chris Kunitz ending them and making them look stupid, so they are force to always have an eye on him too. Something's gonna give.

Chipping In

Readers (I assume there are a few of you), I fear that some of you may believe me more akin to a Philadelphia Flyers stereotype rather than something more comparable to a hockey fan who wants to win the game above all else. I'm thankful to say that the game against the Hurricanes did what it needed to in order to hopefully allow me to prove to you that I am first a hockey fan that just likes a fight more than most.

Now, I use the Philadelphia Flyers comparison as such: the way the Philadelphia Flyers organization portrays itself as fighting and goonery first, actually winning games second. In their opening montage, there is discussion about how they're ruthless and relentless and other such crap. Rather than showing Richards or Carter or Gagne showing some unreal goals, the predominance of the video is full of Cote and Carcillo fights as well as big checks being delivered by all sorts of random Flyers.

I love fights, I love huge checks, but scoring goals and not giving those goals up is the most important thing in the game. So, when you see a normal team's highlights, you know, one not full of douches, it's full of goals, saves, and maybe one or two fights. Take the Penguins for example, probably clips of Jordan Staal undressing Ray Emery, Evgeni Malkin ruining Cam Ward, Sidney Crosby being Sidney Crosby, and then maybe a Godard fight followed by saves by Fleury and maybe a check by Orpik. Following the Flyers mantra it'd be Godard, Godard, Godard, Rupp, Godard, Crosby, Godard, Cooke, Godard, Godard. Eric Godard is good at what he does, possibly even the best at what he does (that's an X-Men reference, kids), but he isn't what makes this team go.

Now, I bring all this set up because of what happened during the game in Carolina. One-third of the Shiner Line was out against Carolina, and I won't lie, I love seeing me some Eric Godard. Not the best skater in the world, but he skates hard, tries to block shots, and does what he can when he gets his shifts that aren't filled with him fighting. Chris Bourque is certainly a better skater, has a better scoring touch, etc. But, honestly, if he's just getting predominantly 4th line shifts, why is he even out there?

But, that's really beside the point because Bourque didn't score in the game. But did you know who did fucking score?


[AP]

Mike Rupp. Shiner Line, baby. This photo was taken directly after Rupp buried it on one of the sickest moves ever made by an enforcer, not to mention just sick period:


[AP]

Seriously, I'm pretty sure Ruslan Fedotenko is just as stunned in this photograph as Cam Ward. Though, Ward's eyes are closed as if he's pretending it's just a dream. I wonder if he hates losing his jock to Rupp more than that softie he gave up to Superstar Treatment last season in the ECF?

Really though, that is what being a fourth liner is all about, chipping in when you least expect it. I know it's not only me that goes crazy when someone who doesn't score that often buries one; I know when Godard will bury is one or two goals this season, people will go nuts, same goes for a player like Jay McKee or Brooks Orpik.

These people aren't supposed to score, they have other jobs. But, at the end of the day, that's what it is all about, scoring more goals than the other guys. So, really, when a guy that is supposed to have an easier time getting punched in the face than burying the puck scores, how can you not be out of your seat screaming?

Chris "Douche bag" Neil

In a game that included Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil, it comes as almost a complete surprise to me that there is very little to talk about from this game. Except at the very end of the game where Chris Neil decided to do what he does best; being a douche bag.

Now, my friends, Chris Neil isn't a lot of things:


[AP]

An agile skater...


[AP]

A great net presence...


[AP]

A classically trained fighter...

But, what Chris Neil certainly isn't is a douche bag and a coward, no...wait:


[Reuters]

That's true too, crap. Neil came through in the clutch delivering some of the finer points of douche baggery to those who might not understand it. See, the game was essentially out of reach for the Senators, they'd played hard, but, as we all know, the Pittsburgh Penguins are just too damn good. Rather than just take an early season loss and get out of there with some dignity, Neil decided to give Penguins fans a reminder of why he's so hated.

Neil checked Sergei Gonchar into the dasher boards, aiming directly at his head, while Gonchar was bent over and in a precarious position. If Gonchar doesn't get up from this check, people talk about it on all the sports station the next day, questioning if it is dirty. Luckily for Penguins fans, Gonchar is fine. Neil then proceeds to skate up ice and get involved with Tyler Kennedy after a whistle for no reason whatsoever. It's really easy for Neil to go after the smaller guy in this situation not only because of TK being smaller than Neil but the refs involved in the scrum from the get go.

The refs aren't on my side, naturally, so they give Neil and Kennedy enough penalties that they won't see the ice again for the rest of the game. How unfortunate. What's even more unfortunate is the conduct with which Neil acts after he knows he's been ejected. It takes a real big man to point at the opposing teams bench and bark at the enforcers when you know you don't have to deal with them for the rest of the night.

I assume this is why I'm not a head coach in the National Hockey League. I say this because were it me, The Shiner Line of Godard, Rupp, and Adams would have been out and made the end of the game come much later than everyone expected. Preferably as they started the line brawl and are delivering punches to who fucking ever, they're shouting, "Blame 25!"

But, since we have to wait until the next game in order to take care of Neil's bullshit, may I recommend skating with your head on a swivel, Neil? You've got something on your back...

Dancing Any Way You Like

Back in the day, by which I mean the 1990s, the Pittsburgh Penguins could sometimes be knocked off of their game. Sure, there were enforcers on the team back in those days (I still wish Dennis Bonvie would have seen more time with the big club back then...even if that was 1999), but there wasn't really a big feeling eminating from the team that they had toughness from Top Line to Bottom Line; Top Pair to Third Pair. This new era of Penguins hockey we are lucky enough to see unfold in front of us never feels that way to me. Everywhere on this Penguins team there are people ready to answer the bell, ready to stick up for their teammate, ready to drop the gloves. It fills my knuckle sandwich loving heart with pride...

We knew what we were going to get in this game from what we dealt with in the pre-season, the Toronto Maple Goons were going to out tough the Penguins and try to draw them into a rough goontastic game. Well, mission accomplished Leafs, it is just too bad that the Penguins still blew you out of your own building and matched you goon for goon, rough play for rough play.

It basically began as we all could have expected. Even people that have never watched a hockey game or seen ice before (so, you know, fans of the Florida Panthers), knew that Eric Godard and Colton Orr were going to drop the gloves, and drop them they did, much to my enjoyment:


[Reuters]

I like that Godard fights Orr more so than him fighting any other heavyweight enforcer in the league. Orr is better than most heavyweights beyond fighting because he can throw his weight around as well as his fists. If there's one knock against my boy Eric Godard, it's that he can't deliver a crushing check after a dump in. Orr, as talked about by by our FSNP boys, sometimes is matched up against Crosby or Malkin and is able to get under their skin at some points. Tonight it wasn't the case, Godard got involved early, and because the score wasn't close, Godard and Rupp were thankfully able to get shifts throughout the game to continue doing their jobs.

This was only the beginning though, it would seem. While the Penguins dominated from the drop of the puck, the Maple Leafs seemed to believe that they would be able to stop the domination by attacking them with cheap hits, fights, and taking penalties. Sergei Gonchar, how did that go for them early on?


[AP]

Looking like that's gonna end painfully for someone, Gonchar. This is not how you try to out muscle a team, blatant cheap shots are only going to get you to the penalty box and when you're playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins, this is going to be the next thing you see.


[Reuters]

Par for the course.

Jay Rosehill's stupidity didn't even stop or begin with this. Earlier in the game Rosehill was taking a page out of teammate Jason Blake's book and spearing Pittsburgh Penguins. The target, you ask? Kris Letang, as if the dude wasn't getting it bad enough in the past few days. I assume there is no photographic evidence of this because people are worried an army of Puck Bunnies, swooning of Kris Letang's majestic flowing mane, is out hunting for Rosehill as we speak.

Directly after the spear though, we see teammates rushing in. Bill Guerin, one of the last of his kind in my opinion, an old school 90s power forward that can take anything you throw at him and still give plenty back, rushed over and had the gloves off before you knew it, throwing them at Rosehill like it didn't even matter. What's stunning to me here is that Guerin didn't get an extra two for instigation, or a game misconduct, jokes.

Rosehill eventually got his, and I'm happy he did:


Some might not be impressed by Rupp in this fight because if anything he lost the fight. In cases like this, it doesn't matter. Rupp is doing a great thing here letting Rosehill know that, in the words of The Dude, "This aggression will not stand, man."

But, I've saved the best for last, fuck yeah Craig Adams! Adams has become a hero to me in the past few games with his fights, making the Pittsburgh Penguins fourth line one of the most formidable in the NHL with two guys always ready to drop the gloves and now Craig Adams ready to start shenanigans as well:



While this could have been further redemption from the Leafs for Craig Adams' elbow on Andy Rogers in the pre-season, the fact remains that Adams is more than willing to drop them.

So, what have we learned Toronto Maple Leafs? Philadelphia Flyers? In our two game swing of two goon teams, we learned that not only do the Leafs and Flyers not have the talent to beat us on the scoreboard but they don't have the talent to beat us in an alley either. With monsters like Eric Godard, Mike Rupp, and even Craig Adams who has discovered his fists along with his faceoff talent, the Pens are ready to play any game. Other people ready to drop the gloves like Jay McKee, Brooks Orpik, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke, and Max Talbot when he comes back aren't even being mentioned yet. We have depth at scoring, and we have depth at toughness. Let the old Conn Smythe saying ring true for the 09-10 Penguins so far, "If you can't beat 'em in an alley, you can't beat 'em on the ice."

We'll beat you any way you want.

Somebody Call Daniel Day-Lewis!

Did the end of that game really happen? Was I magically transported back into the 1970s? Well, obviously I wasn't sent there because then the Flyers might have actually won something important, but come on now, what the fuck was even going on during the end of this game?

Though, like the news or Entertainment Tonight, that's going to be just a tease and I'm not going to talk about that first. Don't you fucking scroll down you fucking cheaters! Before we can even begin to talk about the end, we have to talk about the sweet, sweet happenings at the beginning of the game. Sometimes, all the time if I had my way, there is a fight in the beginning of the game to get the crowd going and the teams into it. I won't lie, there's probably no need for a fight to get the fans into a game between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but I like seeing them anyway because it sets a nice tone of toleration if it's the heavyweights doing it. So, who would it be? Rupp and Asham? They fought last year in a very awkward fight where Rupp had his back to Asham by the end some how. Godard and Cote? They've been known to fight once or twice I think...maybe. I must admit I was truly looking forward to Godard going against Cote again because he always seems to get the best of him. Seems I'll just have to wait for Orr and the Maple Leafs on Saturday because this happened...



Fuck yeah, Craig Adams! Wait...what? Alright, sure, Craig Adams dropping the gloves isn't exactly like Alexander Semin dropping the gloves, but consider me still pleasantly surprised. Going against Ian Laperriere isn't no walk in the park either and I'm pretty proud of Adams. I found it amusing that after a fight during the Washington game, the Versus announcers made a point to discuss how Laperriere stated he would no longer be apart of "Show Fights." Now, maybe I'm just missing the definition, but that looks like a show fight to me. Early in the game, off the faceoff? All signs point to yes. Not that I'm complaining, I think show fights, even between heavyweights, have their place in the game personally. Adams getting the draw, perhaps win because he body slammed Laperriere and ended up on top, really was good for the Penguins early on. It wasn't a dominating victory to get the Flyer fans back into the game after Malkin silenced them early on, and Godard and Rupp were still left on the bench to continue to watch the flock.

Craig Adams played a pretty fantastic game in general. His booming hits in the corners lead to chances and a goal and he laid some serious boom on Chris Pronger in the corner. Anybody that lays some serious boom on that cheap shotting coward is alright in my book. But, as I said, more on that later. NO SCROLLING!

Before we get to the very end, I want to give you guys a reason to fight. The Flyer Faithful (You know, when they're not booing their own team), consider themselves to be the most intimidating fans in hockey. That's probably true, mostly because they have a pack mentality. It's really easy to have a big pair when you know there are way more people on your side than on the side you're going to attack. Corner one of these pukes, and I bet they pee their pants faster than Scottie Hartnell will the next time these two teams meet. But...again, more on that in a moment. We've all heard the horrorible (stupid), things Flyer fans have done; spitting on kids, calling them names, stabbing each other, you know, the classics. I'm all for chewing out another fan, but when it comes to children, you're a joke. No, you're not even a joke, you're scum. So, in light of that, I give you this champion:


[Getty Images]

I'd go to war for that kid. Probably there with his mom or dad in enemy territory, probably dealing with every drunken scumbag in the arena but still rocking the Penguins merchandise. Take note, that kid's a fan and is about to knock the crap outta them chicken tenders.

This kid got a classic lesson in message sending, and I hope he was paying attention because it will be on the exam. We come, at last, to the end of the game.

The Flyers had made it interesting in the final minute of the game, Jeff Carter rifling a puck past Fleury and giving the Flyers a chance to tie with about forty seconds remaining. Pull the goalie and try to grind out a goal right? That's what normal hockey teams do, right? It's just too bad the Flyers aren't a normal team. Here's a picture of what you're supposed to when you're skating towards the goalie.


[AP]

I'll take a moment to let you all get your giggles out after seeing Richards' face in this picture. Seriously, what are you even doing? Anyway...Richards does the correct thing here. Don't check the goalie, one of the biggest Cardinal Rules of hockey; as you can see with Richards skates spraying, he's trying to stop and doesn't. Good on ya, Captain Leadership, you're not a total toolbox. Wait, I spoke too soon. Remember that whole, trying to tie the game bit? Yeah, the Flyers just decided to throw that out and cause some chaos. Mike Richards runs Marc-Andre Fleury and then fakes an injury so he can get away with it, Kris Letang and Scottie Hartnell get tangled up...Kris Letang comes out bleeding? What the fuck is even happening?

First of all, just an absolutely great showing of class by Captain Mike Richards, really, bravo. With the puck in the corner you run at the Pittsburgh goalie and try to take him out. To top it off, you fake an injury after you bang off the crossbar so you don't have to answer for your actions. Part of me...OK, all of me, wishes Richards would have injured himself for such a stupid, arrogant play. Really though, this becomes just background, what the FUCK is Hartnell doing?

Scott Hartnell is a lot of things: Bad Shootout Participant, Good Temper Tantrum Thrower, Bad Fighter, Malachai impersonator, but what I really thought he'd never be was a biter. I guess this is really my fault, I should always expect the Flyers to force me to sink my expectations lower. Scott Hartnell BITES Kris Letang's bare hand! You've got to be fucking kidding.

To top it all off, Chris Pronger and all his glorious cowardice gets a hold of Chris Kunitz from behind and has his hands around his throat. Really? We're going to add choking to the game as well? I guess that's fair, if you're going to go all in, you're going to go all in. What is the funny part about this though is that after Pronger lets up on Kunitz' throat, Kunitz turns around ready to throw them. A little tale of the tape shows that Kunitz gives up six inches to Pronger and Pronger still doesn't start throwing them. Truly Pronger, I thought it was bad when you let Parros clean up your messes, but now you won't even fight a guy six inches shorter than you in a fair fight? You'll strangle him though it seems...

All that's really left to say is December 15th. Scott Hartnell, since I really consider you to be the worst transgression of this scrum with biting someone, I'll bet you'll find yourself meeting Eric Godard or Mike Rupp real early in that game. Here's a friendly reminder:


[Reuters]

It'll almost be like an anniversary for you Hartnell! That was December 13th last year. I hope Godard remembers to get you a present. There will be blood.

The Perks of Not Dressing a Goon

I'm stunned, folks. No, I'm not stunned about the loss, getting shut out by the Phoenix fucking Coyotes, or even that ridiculous save by Brent Johnson, I'm stunned with the shenanigans that the Coyotes, specifically Ed Jovanovski, got away with.

Eric Godard was sitting up in the press box, most likely with a ridiculous suit, so he was in no way able to handle what was going on on the ice. What was going on, you ask? Ed Jovanovski running around being a douche is what. Despite high hits, face washes, and sticks where they aren't supposed to be, Jovanovski was able to do it subtlety enough that he only received one minor. Jovanovski basically punched Evgeni Malkin in the back of the head...two...three...one hundred times, before the ref's arm finally went up. This followed an incredibly high hit to Evgeni Malkin's face by Jovanovski that left the Penguin bench screaming for a penalty that never came.

Where was the redemption? Where was Mike Rupp or Jay McKee since Eric Godard was in the press box enjoying pretzels or maybe some club sandwiches? No where to be found, at all. Leaving Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Dan Bylsma to provide these faces:


[AP]

Malkin appears to be stabbing something with his stick, Disco Dan appears to be giving the stink eye to someone (perhaps the Penguins offense? WOOOO!), and Jordan Staal...well...Jordan Staal seems to be contemplating how, as a zombie, he found himself so lucky to be handed 17K plus people with delicious brains to eat.

I know what everyone is thinking right now too, "But tGB! Rupp or McKee or anyone would have had to take an extra two in order to fight Jovanovski!" I suppose you're right, that WOULD happen if Rupp or McKee fought Jovanovski, but does it really matter in the end? The Penguins had eleven minors in the game against Phoenix, so really, what is twelve? Perhaps though, they were just practicing for their game against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight? Take penalties for no reason, good idea. Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet so crap like that doesn't happen to Malkin and crap like this doesn't happen to Sidney Crosby:


[AP]

Help me, Eric Godard, you're my only hope...

Right Into My Lap

Apparently, the zebras read my blog (I mean, somehow has to, right?), and decided to stick it to me in the game between the Pens and the Isles tonight. I could care less about John Tavares, he's soft as Hell.



Cry about it. Maybe you should learn how to take a check, I hear you'll be taking more than a few of those at pro level. Yeah...I don't like Tavares, anyway. While I'm happy about spoiling Tavares' debut, I'm even more happy we saw some more grit from the team and Eric Godard wasn't even involved in it.

I really don't understand how this fight started. Mike Rupp misses a check on Freddy Meyer and that causes not one, but two New York Islanders to hit him high and with cross checks. Tim Jackman eventually gets Rupp to drop the gloves and Mikey holds his own against him, throwing some bombs and answering the bell for I suppose what the Islanders believed to be a dirty check. The argument can be made that Rupp went for a knee on knee hit but I believe that has to do more with Meyer side stepping Rupp than Rupp's intention. Regardless, the Pens were laying their bodies and then answered the bell when the Islanders came calling, as it says in The Code. Here it is, as it happened, with FANCY moving pictures.



What happens later in the game is a completely different ruling. Ruslan Fedotenko gets caught with his head down and Brendan Witt takes full advantage. Witt, who other than shots like this is only known for getting skated around, delivers a high hit and the elbow gets up on Fedotenko.


[Reuters]

Par for the course, Witt.

So, according to the lines of policing the game that were already laid down by the refs, what Jay McKee did is totally within the realm of possibility, right?


[Reuters]

Got your nose!

But! If you'll notice, Jay McKee gets seventeen penalty minutes for this one play. Seventeen? Really? You've got to be joking. Tim Jackman gets to drop the gloves with Michael Rupp without taking an extra two but McKee goes after Witt after a hard, arguably dirty check and he gets not only a instigation penalty but a GAME MISCONDUCT!? You're joking zebras, you're joking.

Oh, you're not? Well, got to love that double standard. I mean, what Jackman did and what McKee did are totally different, right? Oh wait, they aren't. This is what I don't understand about the instigator penalty right now. I mean, really I don't think it has a place in the league to begin with. The instigator rule let's people like Sean Avery get away with what he does without threat of repercussion. What would Avery do if when he let his stick and elbow get up on Malkin or Crosby he had to deal with Godard or Rupp coming after him with no threat of instigation? When you take away the ability for the player to police the game only in certain situations it causes confusion. Plus, players are getting away with dangerous and cheap hits. Let them fight, without penalty. It cleans up the game.

Here's a little extra treat tonight for you guys as well. My OHL team is the Erie Otters (Mikey Rupp played his Junior Hockey in Erie), and it was a good one tonight. Erie and London are huge rivals, and despite some of Erie's big time enforcers (specifically one of my favorite enforcers Michael Liambis), being out it was a great game with hard hitting and lots of grit. However, the gloves didn't come off until overtime.



Honestly, I was surprised McRae dropped the gloves (and even seems hesitant until the VERY last moment). All game the Knights had been cross checking, chirping, and face washing after plays but were always all too happy to let the linesmen skate in once the Otters started responded. It was nice to see Cook finally get someone to throw down with, if only letting loose that frustration all night lead to a win for Erie.

And, in the most mind boggling moment of penalties being handed out in the past few days, BOTH of the fighters got misconducts for being secondary fighters, even though no other fight had started.

Referees, an enigma wrapped in a mystery...

Starting it Off Right

The Penguins started off just like we thought they would; a sweet banner, some cheering...OK a lot of cheering, a bunch of sweet trophies, all that good stuff. There are other blogs and other places to read about the goals, Fleury's sweet save, and how the Rangers have no cohesion with another free agent filled team. We know what we're all here for though.

The beginning of the game was all energy from the Penguins and they gained the first goal. However, the energy and excitement going through the crowd because of the banner raising and the first goal began to fade out. Despite dominating the first ten minutes in terms of shots and the score, the Pens seemed to be losing the momentum. After a shift where Donald Brashear was running around, the Penguins had their excuse to get back in the game. Brashear got chippy, Godard stood up and screamed at him on the bench, Godard came out the very next shift, fight city.

This was a heavyweight fight if there ever was one. Most men, after this happened, the fight would already be over:


[Reuters]

Lesser men are either on their back or dead right now. Eric Godard takes that left in the face and keeps plugging along, even having time to not only beat Donald Brashear, but make him do embarrassing things as well.


[AP]

What's it smell like, Brashear? Does it smell like violence and manliness? Does it smell like the bitter defeat you are about to receive? Does it smell like a fanbase who hates you more every time you lose a fight because of what you did in the playoffs last year? Yes, it smells like all those things. To me? I bet it'd smell like victory. Watching this fight I was absolutely stunned that Godard was able to keep on ticking after the first punch from Brashear caught him right on the button. Godard's head snapped back for a moment, but dude immediately got back into it. Really, at the end of the day, when this is the final shot you see, is there any doubt who won the fight in the end?


[Reuters]

Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0-0. Eric Godard, 1-0. What's even better about this is what happened after the fight. The Penguins, for the first time in I don't know how long, have depth at enforcer. While Michael Rupp is more of a power forward with a mean streak and less hands, his toughness is still something to respect. Right after Godard went into the box, Rupp was out. Against a team like New York this isn't really important because I'm pretty sure other than Brashear the average height of the Blueshirts is 4'2". However, against teams like the Flyers or the Maple Leafs, this will be a very good thing to have. With Godard in the box for five minutes the goons on those teams might try something. Rupp coming on the ice right after provides an immediate deterrent against further shenanigans.

Speaking of the Flyers, I have a bone to pick with NHL referees. During the Philadelphia/Carolina game last night, Daniel Carcillo was up to his usual bullshit. After boarding Ray Whitney, it's time for retribution. This is how The Code works; you take a run at a player or are guilty of a dirty play, you're going to have to pay. What follows is baffling and is a clear sign of referees trying to take control out of the players hands. Tim Gleason immediately answers the bell for Whitney and goes after Carcillo. The fight isn't much, but the penalties after are what make my blood boil. Carcillo gets the fighting major and two minutes for boarding. Gleason gets a fighting major, two for instigating, AND a game misconduct? Are you kidding me zebras? You're taking control out of the players hands and if players have to take extra two minutes to get retribution for dirty hits, you're not going to see fighting for dirty hits. Either these penalties won't be called or we'll find people quoting Olalf Sanderson from D2: The Mighty Ducks.




"Two Minutes? Well worth it."