Ok, so it is only two points.........and there are 31 more games left.......BUT, that win showed that the Penguins have the heart of a champion. They came into this game, on the road against a strong divisional rival already missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two world class star centers, one of whom is the best player in the game today. Then, they lose their current second line center in practice, Mark Letestu, then solid fourth line winger Arron Asham early in the game. Finally, they lose Staal to a bullshit match penalty near the end of the second period. They came out and fell behind 2-0. Yet somehow this very depleted team guts out a 4-3 shootout win in New York tonight. With three of the Four Horsemen out of the game, the fourth, one Marc Andre Fleury put this team on his back, and after a game full of spectacular saves, he stops 7 shootout attempts, and the Pens take the two points. Dustin Jeffrey has earned a permanent place on this roster, showing a scorers touch AGAIN tonight, netting a regulation goal, and the game winning shootout goal. He was 9 of 19 on faceoffs, and he now has 2 goals, 1 assist, and a shootout goal in his last three games on call up. Disco, leave Jeffrey on the team, give him quality minutes, and while you are at it, how about bringing up the Big Dog and let him play some quality minutes on a top line while we are so depleted at forward. They both could add some scoring to this team right now..........Now to one of my favorite subjects, the piss poor officiating in this garbage league. After Rangers pussy Brandon Prust cross checks Tyler Kennedy to the ice (no call), Jordan Staal stepping in for his teammate delivered a gloved shot to the face of Prust, who greatly embellished the blow spinning to the ice. Staal gets a five minute major and a match penalty, thus ejected from the game, and I believe getting an automatic suspension. First off, IF the referees do their jobs and call the obvious penalty on Prust, Staal never gets to engage him. As per usual, they decide to let a penalty go, and Staal comes to the defense of a teammate, and took it too far. He should not have punched Prust, and I have no issue with the five minute major as a result. The match penalty call is garbage, pure NHL incompetent garbage that sometimes makes watching a great sport tough to watch........... I guarantee you that you will find that same play called no penalty, a 2 minute penalty, a double minor, a five minute major.........and you will find far fewer instances where a match penalty is given, particularly when a player like Jordan Staal hits a punk like Prust, the benefit of the doubt would be given. Trust me, if Brandon Douchebinsky hits Matt Cooke in the same manner after Cooke cross checks Ryan Callahan, there might not be any penalty, but most likely he gets a roughing minor, at worst a five minute major. Anyway, big win, character win, and the type of win that can galvanize a team for the stretch.
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