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Buzzer beaters, disputed calls, emotional energy and bad blood, March Madness is upon us. No not the basketball tournament. The March Madness displayed last night was in the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
The Penguins and Red Wings dusted off some old emotions from the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Final and it led to a very exciting and a very intense game. It culminated with the Red Wings scoring a goal at the final buzzer to give them the 2 points that they desperately needed in the standings.
Here are the game highlights:
It was a pretty even game up until the 3rd period. The Penguins controlled the flow in the 3rd period and had every opportunity to win the game. A big part of that was the 5 minute major that the Penguins were given in the later stages of the period, more on that later:
The Penguins got a point out of last night’s game but they blew a fairly easy opportunity to pick up two full points. There are a good number of items that I am going to address that played into the failure to win the game.
The first issue that came to light was the fact the Penguins got distracted (again) and started to take really bad penalties (again). James Neal was the #1 culprit and his cross check to the head of Luke Glendening was despicable.
This is the same James Neal who just missed both games against the Philadelphia Flyers because of concussion related issues. This is the same James Neal who is a repeat offender from earlier this year when he kneed Brad Marchand in the head. I wrote back when that the Marchand incident happened that Neal deserved 30 games, people scoffed at me and told me I was absurd. This is the reason why I wasn’t crazy. The NHL’s current disciplinary process is not nearly stern enough when dealing with headshots. This is exhibit A. Neal’s punishment for the Marchand incident served as absolutely no deterrent to future behavior. Perhaps if he missed 30 games he would think twice about cross checking a guy in the face. Instead we have the status quo. Glendening finished the game and was not injured so don’t expect a lengthy suspension on this one either, also don’t be surprised when it happens again.
NHL made their bed; they’ll have to sleep in it. This is completely on the league. They have done nothing to change player’s behaviors; it is on them, not the players.
Neal was also guilty of a foolish play in the 3rd period where he nullified a Penguins power play when he tossed a Red Wings stick aside. Here is the rule:
Rule 53.2: When moving stick that is not broken, no penalty (if) it does not interfere with play and player .. is not trying to retrieve it.
— Pens Radio Network (@PensRadioNet) March 21, 2014
Rule 10.3: A player will be penalized if he throws, tosses, slides or shoots a stick to a teammate on the ice (as Quincey did to Glendening)
— Pens Radio Network (@PensRadioNet) March 21, 2014
No Player Safety hearing scheduled on Friday for Neal regarding hit Thursday at Detroit. #pens play Saturday
— Rob Rossi (@RobRossi_Trib) March 21, 2014Per a league spokesperson, the NHL does not have a disciplinary hearing scheduled regarding David Legwand's butt end on Evgeni Malkin.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@emptynetters) March 21, 2014@GunnerStaal Let's take the best player in the game and give him a PP role of retrieving loose pucks and passing it to the point man....
— Ryan Mance (@Mance_22) March 21, 2014All of #pens bottom six forwards were minus possession players against the #Wings bottom six composed of (basically all) AHL players.
— Lyle Kossis (@LyleKossis) March 21, 2014