Brodeur - Devils 3, Penguins 1

So what happened?

I'm a few days late with this (Happy New Year!), so I'll keep it brief.

The game, to me, turned on a bad sequence late in the first period.  Aaron Asham was pretty clearly (and thoroughly) driven into the boards behind the net.  A clear hit from behind.  There should have been a call for boarding.  Unfortunately, the Clueless Zebras didn't see fit to make the call. Asham immediately goes and commits a high-sticking penalty, which *is* called.  Then while complaining to the refs about the inconsistency, he is rung up for another two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

To me, the refs totally blew the situation.  That's not to say that Asham shouldn't have been more in control, because he certainly should have been, but it was a sequence that made the refs look bad in what they called and didn't call.

Having said that, the Pens simply couldn't beat Brodeur.  That was the simplest way to describe what happened.  They had lots of great chances and just couldn't make it happen.

Who scored?

Kunitz (13)

The Good?

• Power play goal.  That was good to see.

The Bad?

• Too many penalties, again.  Allowing six power play chances to the opposition is a good way to lose any game.  It's tough to kill all those chances.

The Ugly?

• Asham taking the extra two minutes for arguing.  Even if the ref is totally dumb, you can't take the extra two.

Any Surprises?

• The penalty shot awarded to the Devils was a surprise - it didn't look like Orpik had actually covered the puck in the crease.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 21-13-4.

Who's next?

Some time off.  The Pens play the Rangers on Friday.