The Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded from two tough losses, one being a game, the other being Matt Cooke, to pick up a 5-4 shootout victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, scored two more, chased Jimmy Howard, allowed the Red Wings to tie the game in the third before James Neal won it in the shootout.
I was very impressed with how Pittsburgh responded after losing to the New York Rangers Sunday. Also, Cooke's suspension, although warranted after another cheap shot by the LW, gave the Pens a "us against the world" approach.
Cooke was suspended by the NHL Monday for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs for his elbow to the head of the Rangers' Ryan McDonagh Sunday.
Cooke got what he deserved, Mario Lemieux and Ray Shero had to support it, but the players will go that extra mile for their teammate, even if they're upset.
Chris Kunitz had another great game. Kunitz and Jordan Staal have elavated their game. Brent Johnson was strong, and didn't really let in any bad goals. The Red Wings started to take control in the third. I believe that can be attributed to the Penguins playing back-to-back games against two quality opponents, but take nothing away from Detroit. That team is loaded with talent and Mike Babcock is one of the best coaches around.
Pittsburgh has big games coming up against New Jersey and Philadelphia. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the game with the Flyers is important. (Understatement of the year). I don't think the Penguins will win the division, but who knows. I doubt Philadelphia will struggle going into the playoffs.
We shall see.
Keep your head up!
I thought the Cooke suspension was harsh, but fair. The Penguins made a lot of noise about trying to eliminate exactly that kind of hit from the game, and I believe they are sincere in not wanting anyone, least of all their players, targeting guys head deliberately.
ReplyDeleteThe question is: what will they do with Cooke this year if they win a playoff round, and during the offseason? Barring Cooke coming back to replace an injured forward, it would be pretty tough for Coach Bylsma to look a guy in the eye and sit him down after helping the team win a round of the playoffs, only to insert someone who wasn’t there because he made a selfish and stupid play.
It was a great, exciting game last night between two quality teams. Matt Cooke can look to Red Wing forward and former Canuck teammate Todd Bertuzzi as a model for how to alter his game and still be an effective NHL player. The Pens PK has struggled since Cooke went out, giving up 4 tallies since he left the Rangers game. The PP has also been Dead on Arrival. They will need to get the special teams fixed in order to be in position to gain any ground on Philly at this time of year.