So the Penguins simply got beat up last night, from the drop of the puck. They outshot the Devils, but in the third, when they were trying to come back, they were unable to muster much offense against the Devils system.
The biggest thing that stood out to me last night was Crosby's double minor in the third - he gets a hooking call (probably justified) and drops his stick (it was tied up under Madden's arm, mysteriously). The stick drops to the ground. Madden, in a show of great sportsmanship, picks up the stick and throws it. Sid complains and gets a second minor. Nothing for Madden. The zebras really need to drop the attitude when dealing with Crosby - it seems to be getting out of hand again. I don't care if he's a rookie or not - there should be no such thing as having to "earn the calls" through experience.
One of the things I'd like to take a look at when the season is over is just how penalties were called throughout the entire season. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starting to see a ton more borderline obstruction scenarios occurring. I think they're also being much more strict with the icing (in those cases where the puck goes right past an offensive player, such that it was an attempted pass, the refs have the option to waive off the icing at their judgement). I think you can't leave things as a judgement call for these guys in stripes - they caused the problems that forced the rule changes to begin with (such as allowing the clutching, grabbing and interference).
Anyway, four goals is a good amount to put on Brodeur, but the Pens defense wasn't able to do the job tonight. Let's hope for better next time (though not *too* strongly, since the Pens are just three points away from St Louis, and the Blues are doing their best to lose as much as possible. I'll take moral victories and the #1 draft pick any day over a win streak to end the season.
Next up is a trip to Florida, where the Pens always seem to be distracted by the nice weather just enough to get the stuffing kicked out of them.
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The officiating is worse than before the lockout, and I say that as a fan of the sport rather than as someone who needs to vent because "his" team had a bad season. It is horribly inconsistent, sometimes within the same shift.
Somewhere within the same subject, this business with Crosby seems ridiculous. Enough already with teaching the rookie "a lesson," as the officials seem intent on doing. Sid may have brought some of it on himself early in the season, but he has toned it down a lot. Seems lately as if he gets a penalty if he so much as sneezes in the ref's direction.
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