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Sunday, 20 March 2011 12:29

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

PREGAME

-Hey, guess where we are:

-No not quite:

-On account of an illness (and NBC starting the game at some ridiculous hour), we're doing today's live blog from home. Our apologies.

-The Penguins' starters are Dustin Jeffrey, Alex Kovalev, James Neal, Deryk Engelland, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury.

-Their scratches are Arron Asham, Eric Godard and Mark Letestu.

-The Rangers' starters are Brian Boyle, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brandon Prust, Steve Eminger, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist.

-Their scratches are Sean Avery, Martin Biron and Marc Staal.

-Before the game is even started, and even with Marc a scratch, the Staals are brothers:

EN readers Norma Basko spotted a Shawn McEachern jersey:

FIRST PERIOD

16:58: Zbynek Michalek floats a wrister from the right point. Lundqvist knocks it down and covers.

15:22: Paul Martin rips a wrister from the left point. It hits of a stick or skate and deflects on net. Lundqvist is able to glove it.

12:37: Deryk Engelland lifts a wrister from the right point. Lunqvist fights it off with his chest.

11:14: Jordan Staal re-directs a feed to the slot on net. Lundqvist covers.

11:03: Brian Boyle chucks a wrister on net from the left half wall, Fleury eats it up.

8:49: Ryan McDonagh chucks a wrister on net from the top of the slot. Michalek is in front and blocks it.

8:40: From the right wing corner of the Penguins' zone, Ryan Callahan is able to sneak a wrister to the slot. Artem Anisimov has a little space to work with and jabs the puck under Fleury and into the net. What a play by Callahan. Callahan and Dubinsky get assists. Rangers 1-0.

8:02: If NBC is doing a game, you know that means one thing: Awkward invasions of personal space by "Pierre" McGuire:

7:40: Letang chops a one-timer from the left point high and wide to the far side.

4:01: Ben Lovejoy chips the puck out of his own zone to Neal at the red lin eanl taps it to Jordan Staal streaking p ice. Staal gains the offensive zone motors in on ne tand lifts a wrister which squeaks under Lundqvist's blocker and into the net. What a pass by Neal. Neal and Lovejoy get assists the "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. Penguins 1, Rangers 0.

3:20: Cooke forces a pass to the slot from the rigth wing. It gets blocked. he recovers it and chips it on net. Just as that happens, Maxime Talbot bumps into Lundqvist who is dealing with a stiff neck. The net becomes dislodge. Callahan does a reverse DDT to Talbot. That's two minutes for roughing. Kovalev, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy take the ice.

1:55: From the right circle, Jeffrey taps a backhande pass to Letang at the top fo the slot. Letang

1:18: Just as the Callahan minor expires, Paul Martin has a wrister from the top of the slot blocked.

1:17: Jeffrey is sent off for tripping Anisimov. Talbot, Craig Adams, Martin and Michalek take the ice.

0:08: Adams levels Derek Stepan in the left wing corner of the Penguins' zone.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 1, Rangers 1.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-Maybe it's the early start, but there's one way to describe this game:

-The play for both teams has been sloppy. Ask any hockey player and they'll tell you they don't like these early starts. Thanks NBC.

-The Penguins' power play continues to stink. It just doesn't look organized.

-The Penguins have a 10-7 lead in shots.

-Jeffrey, Boyle, Callahan and Anisimov each lead the game with two.

-Michalek leads the game with 7:48 of ice time.

-Eminger leads the Rangers with 7:16.

-The Penguins have an 11-8 edge in faceoffs (58 percent).

-Talbot is 3 for 4 (75 percent).

-Brandon Dubinsky is 2 for 3 (67 percent).

-Stepan leads the game with two blocked shots.

-NBC has the Lite Brite set busted out for McGuire and Mike Milbury:

SECOND PERIOD

20:00: The Rangers will have 43 seconds of power-play time on fresh ice. Cooke, Adams, Michalek and Martin take the ice.

19:17: Jeffrey returns to the ice. Nothing doing there for the Rangers.

16:55: Talbot snaps off a wrister from the left circle wide to the far side.

16:21: From above the left circle, Martin lifts a wrister. Lundqvist snags it.

15:27: Mats Zuccarello chops a shot from the slot. Letang deflects it out play.

14:32: Kennedy drives a slapper on net from the right wing. Lundqvist fights it off. Staal chops the rebound on net. Lundqvist kicks that out as well.

13:53: Kovalev rips a heavy wrister on net. Lundqvist fights it off with his glove.

12:51: Ruslan Fedotenko has two nice chances in tight but Fleury denies them both with his left leg. Two tough saves.

12:12: Rupp snaps off a wrister from the left half wall to the far side. Lundqvist kicks it out with his left foot.

12:03: Stepan uncorks a wrister from teh left circle. Fleury juuuuust gets a piece of it.

11:34: Dubinsky taps a pass to Girard at the right point. Girard pounds a one-timer. Fleury eats it up.

10:47: Off a nice give and go with Talbot, Cooke jabs a quick shot from the left circle. Lundqvist fights it off.

9:05: Kunitz lifts a wrister from the left circle, Lundqivst knocks it down and covers.

8:17: Off a feed from Talbot off the right wing, Niskane rips a heavy wrister fromt he slot. Lunqvist eats it up.

6:26: Letang snaps off a wrister from above the left circle. Lunqvist is able to trap it to the ice with his left leg.

5:58: Lovejoy booms a rising slapper from teh top of the slot. Lundqvist knocks it down and covers.

5:10: From the left wing corner of the Rangers' zone, Kunitz feeds staal just ouside the left circle. Staal chops it on net with a one-timer. Lundqvist kicks it out.

3:17: Talbot is tripped up in by Michael Sauer on a rush towards the net. Sauer appeared to get the puck before Talbot. That shouldn't be a penalty. But the Penguins will take it. Kovalev, Letang, Jeffrey, Neal and Staal take the ice. Kovalev mans the left point.

1:16: Stepan taps the puck down into the Penguins' zone and kills off the rest of Sauer's penalty. That was a pretty awful two minutes for the Penguins.

1:02: Niskanen rips a wrister from above the left circle. Lundqvist eats it up.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 1, Rangers 1.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-More of the same that period:

-Things actually picked up a bit that period. There was a little bit more hitting and a few more shots on net but for the most part, play was really stagnant for each team.

-The Penguins' power play is really awful right now. It's not even a threat.

-It's become somewhat fashionable to blame Kovalev for the power play woes, and he was certainly brought here to provide some spark there, but guess what. This power play stunk out loud when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were on it. It's not the players. It's the personnel.

-Lundqvist has been sharp despite not being 100 percent.

-The Penguins dominate shots, 29-14.

-Kennedy and Staal each lead the game with four shots.

-Callahan leads the Rangers with three.

-Eminger leads the game with 17:32 of ice time.

-Letang leads the Penguins with 15:49.

-The Penguins have a 17-16 edge in faceoffs (52 percent).

-Dubinsky is 7 for 10 (70 percent).

-Talbot is 5 for 8 (63 percent).

-Eminger leads the game with three blocked shots.

-Staal leads the Penguins with two.

-EN cohort Ron Michalek spotted a jersey foul. A Paul Coffey Oilers jersey... at the Pittsburgh Power game last night:

THIRD PERIOD

18:22: Neal lifts a nice wrister from the left circle. Lundqvist fights it off.

16:24: Engelland corrals a loose puck at the right point and whips it through traffice juuust wide to the far side.

15:24: And Matt Cooke takes his obligatory stupid penalty. Cooke jabs smacks Ryan McDonagh in the face with his left elbow. Cooke gets booted fromt he game. The Rangers get a five minute major. Cooke deserve at least a 10-game suspension. Conner will serve the major. What a stupid penalty. Stupid. Dupuis, Adams, Martin and Michalek take the ice.

13:34: Thankfully for the Penguins, the Rangers appear to be even more ineptatoen the powerpla. Kunitz steals the puck off Christensen in the neutral zone. He races up the right wingg ains the offensive zone and rips a flutterin wrister to the farw side wby Lundqvist's blocker. What a shot. Its his 21st goal of the season. Not bad for a player who's not a "real" first line winger. The goal is unassisted.

12:06: And the Penguins just can't stay out of the penalty box. Niskanen chops Callahan in the nocw with his stick. Callahan is cut open. That's a "four-minuter. Five on three for 1:42. Talbot, Adams and Michalek take the ice.

10:57: Talbot is able to steal a pass from Stepa and swat it out of the Penguins' zone. Big clear.

10:32: And that was only a matter of time. Vaclav Prospal booms a one-timer from the top of the slot. It hits a body in front. Marian Gaborik is right there on the doorstep and cleans up the garbage punching the rebound over a stretched out Fleury. Dan Byslma is on the bench screaming at officials over the fact that Dubinsky was in the crease. He has a case. Dubinsky and Prospal get assists. Give one to Matt Cooke. The Rangers still have a power play. Penguins 2, Rangers 2.

10:21: And they don't wast time cashing in again. Zuccarello rips a wrister from the slot wide to the right of the cage. The rebound bounces to Callahan on a bad angle on the right wing. Callahan immediatley chops it on net and beats Fleury on the near wide. Fleury was in a bad position there. Christensen and Zuccarello get assists. Rangers 3-2.

9:08: According to Ed Olczyk, McDonagh has thanfully had a shift sicne he was hit by Cooke.

8:04: Jeffrey races up the right wing and snaps off a little wrister five hole. Lundqvist kicks it out.

3:25: After a stagnant five minutes, the Penguins drwa  penalty as McDonagh is called for roughing Letang in the right circle of the Rangers' zone. Letang appeared to get away with a punch. This is do or die for the Penguins. letang, Kunitz, Kennedy, Staal and Kovalev take the ice. Kovalev is on the right point.

3:07: Kennedy, Kunitz, Staal and Kovalev each get denied in tight Lundqivst and Girard in tight. There's a scrum afterward. Sauer pretty  much choke slams Kunitz.

2:57: Staal has a chance in the slot but has it blocked by Callahan. He gets back the rebound and whips it wide to the left of the cage.

1:22: Neal has a chance on the left wing. His shot is deflected by McDonagh's leg but Lundqvist fights it off with his glove hand.

1:15: Stepan's penalty expires. He comes out of the box and is off on a breakaway. He races in and rips a wrister low. Fleury makes the inital save. McDonagh punches the rebound on net. Fleury makes that save but kicks out a rebound to the slot. Stepan follows up on it and punches it by a helpless Fleury. Game. Set. Match. McDonagh and Anisimov get assists. Rangers 4-2.

1:03: Fleury is pulled for an extra attacker.

0:39: And that's the perfect way to end this game. Callahan steals a pass by Kennedy and pushes it across the ice to Dubinsky. Dubinsky pushes it up ice and air mails a shot from the neutral zone into the cage for one of us:

-Callahan gets the only assist. Rangers 5-2.

0:00: End of game. Rangers 5, Penguins 2.

POSTGAME

-There's not a ton of guessing what went wrong with here. The Penguins had a meltdown in terms of discipline and the Rangers took advantage. The Penguins have had a season-long issue with regards to discipline and for the most part, they've been able to overcome it with an outstanding penalty kill, but today, it was just too much to overcome.

-What do you say about Matt Cooke? Lots of things actually. He's a dirty player. Period. He's a talanted palyer. He's vital to the penalty kill. He's competent with the puck. And he's amazing on the forecheck. But all of that is lost by the fact that he's a dirty player. And today, he was a liablity.

-He deserve a 10-game suspension at the very least. But this is a garage league the NHL. Don't expect more than eight.

-The hit in question:

-So stupid.

-Another liability for the Penguins is the power play. The Rangers get a major chance on the power play and they score two goals. The Penguins get a few power plays, including one late, and they can barely complete a pass.

-Give credit to Henrik Lundqvist. He came in with a bad neck and played a tough game. He faced a ton of shots and had plenty of bodies crashing in. He fought most of it off and put his team into a position to win.

-The Penguins led in shots, 40-27.

-Staal led the game with six shots.

-Boyle, Callahan and Fedotenko each led the Rangers with four.

-Girardi led the game with 25:25 of ice time.

-Letang was right behind him with 25:22.

-The Rangers had a 25-22 lead in faceoffs (53 percent).

-Adams was 5 for 5 (100 percent).

-Dubinsky was 10 for 17 (59 percent).

-Eminger led the game with three blocked shots.

-Staal led the Penguins with two.

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

Comments (47)

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written by Bones, March 20, 2011 - 02:00 PM

Anisimov is developing into the next Penguin-killer.

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 02:04 PM

Especially when Rupp leaves him alone in front of the net

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 02:10 PM

Nice play Neal and Staal!

Where is Letang's head lately.

I love TK, but he should not be on the power play

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 02:28 PM

The Penguins' power play is about as effective as Pitt in the NCAA tournament.

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written by tennpen, March 20, 2011 - 03:07 PM

i'm all for staying positive but all this crap about how the players think the PP is about to improve and they just arent getting the bounces is exactly that - crap. the PP is beyond terrible and just once i would like to hear a player or coach acknowledge that. its impossible to fix a problem if you wont admit the problem even exists. is there some PP guru coach the Pens could go after in the offseason? it's ridiculous for a team that spends to the cap, with the players they have and considers itself a championship-caliber team for the PP to be this incredibly inept

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written by JBM425, March 20, 2011 - 03:23 PM

Anyone who complains about an "early start" will get no sympathy from me (that means you, Seth ). I got back from church a bit after 9 a.m. Pacific time and started making breakfast when I turned on the TV and saw the Penguins game on NBC. Now, that's an early start.

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 03:26 PM

Matt Cooke is a cheap-shotting piece of crap. I don' want him in a Penguins uniform anymore, I don't care how valuable he is on the penalty kill or as a third-line winger. His attempts to injure are despicable and that penalty could easily cost the Pens this game.

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 03:26 PM

Chris Kunitz, on the other hand, continues his awesome season.

Damn, it's such a shame this team isn't healthy. They would be dominant right now.

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 03:28 PM

Nice play Kunitz. Cooke is an idiot!

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written by Bones, March 20, 2011 - 03:30 PM

This team as a whole is so undisciplined. It will cost them games in the playoffs.

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 03:32 PM

Thank you, Matt Cooke. This is ALL ON YOU, you dim-witted moron.

You just cost the Penguins 2 goals because you're a selfish cheap-shot artist PUNK.

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 03:33 PM

Stupidest five minutes of hockey I have watched all year. Mat Cooke should be gone and I used to be one of his biggest supporters. Dick.

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written by Bones, March 20, 2011 - 03:36 PM

Don't let Niskanen off the hook either.

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written by djbst75, March 20, 2011 - 03:36 PM

MELTDOWN!!!!!

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written by djbst75, March 20, 2011 - 03:38 PM

oh and I hate Doc Emmerick oy vey he is so ANNOYING!!!!!

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written by KRC, March 20, 2011 - 03:38 PM

Okay I think Cooke should be booted from the league. Now his stupidity cost us the game. He'll never learn, and he apparently can't think before he acts.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID.

If we're going to keep him, Lemieux should take a belt to his ass. If he wants to act like a petulant child he should be treated as such.

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 03:39 PM

Niskanen would never have been in a position to high-stick if Cooke doesn't have the despicable penalty. Niskanen was just desperately trying to get position and it happened.

The Penguins are losing this game SOLELY because of Matt Cooke and his selfishness. He is example A of why COlin Campbell is a useless moron who would be better off bagging groceries than working in a front office.

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written by Bones, March 20, 2011 - 03:44 PM

Niskanen needs to contol his stick and not leave his teammates to kill 3 minutes of 5 on 3. It was a dumb penalty.

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written by Kevjac66, March 20, 2011 - 03:45 PM

Add me to the list of people who has completely turned on Cooke. He just cannot help himself from taking ridiculous cheap shots that hurt his team. Other players can be found to fill his role. He's not so special that he can't be replaced.

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written by djbst75, March 20, 2011 - 03:46 PM

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

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written by Kevjac66, March 20, 2011 - 03:47 PM

As for Niskanen...OK, yeah, he took a careless high sticking penalty. Lots of guys take careless/accidental high sticking penalties. Not a lot of guys take flying elbows at opponents' heads.

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written by Louder_Is_Best, March 20, 2011 - 03:50 PM

What a despicable, HORRIBLE loss.

This could very well be the worst loss of the season.

Matt Cooke deserves to have his face broken for this. He absolutely cost this team at least 1 points today, and possibly 2. He's an embarrassment and worthless piece of sh*t.

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 03:50 PM

The teams is going nowhere with this power play and the absolute break down in the third period. Very bad game today guys.

Here I was thinking this was one of there better efforts after the second period.

Cooke is an A@#, Niskanen not so good either.

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written by KRC, March 20, 2011 - 03:53 PM

Wow what a monumental collapse.

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written by Okel Dokel, March 20, 2011 - 03:53 PM

You know another pathetic thing about today. They should win when they outshoot a team like they did today.

No discipline. I bet the NHL brass is chomping at the bit about Cooke today.

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written by djbst75, March 20, 2011 - 03:53 PM

lets not overreact this was a bad loss but you know what we only have ourselves to blame. We gave em two points and we can only look at ourselves as the reason for it.

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written by Kevjac66, March 20, 2011 - 03:55 PM

KRC: This isn't even the worst collapse against just the Rangers this season. In terms of collapsing, it's at least fifth on the list. (The two home Boston games and the two previous home Rangers games.)

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written by tennpen, March 20, 2011 - 03:58 PM

this team has the IQ of a fencepost. when you are without your top two offensive players it is doubly important to play smart. dont take stupid penalties, make the simple play, get pucks to the net and dont pass up shots. this team is incapable of playing anything resembling smart hockey on a consistent basis. they just cant resist making things more difficult than they have to be.

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written by Brian, March 20, 2011 - 04:00 PM

How many of the people here who bash Cooke's dirty play stand for fights at the games? The NHL is a joke. Cooke is dirty, but he is a good hockey player. How can any of this cheap shot stuff be taken seriously when the league allows criminal behavior between gigantic men on razor sharp skates? Wake up people! This is the same town that loved Ulf!

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written by Boffyflow, March 20, 2011 - 04:00 PM

Give Cooke his walking papers now. He's more trouble than he's worth. How can Mario Lemieux push for a ban on head shots when he can't even control players in his own organization. A warm six-pack would be a sweet trade for this piece of scum.

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written by jameshutton, March 20, 2011 - 04:01 PM

I figured others would complain about Cooke's dumb penalty. Looked just like Heatley's the other night. Look for 2 + at least another 2 for just being Matt Cooke.

Man, that was stupid. Tie game where we're completely in control and turn it completely around. Nisk's penalty was dumb also, but if we're not killing a dumb 5-minute penalty that doesn't happen.

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written by tennpen, March 20, 2011 - 04:08 PM

anyone else expect campbell to give cooke a few extra games just to stick it to Mario? the precedent has already been set for that type of elbow in the past week - 2 games suspension. anything over that is just spite for Mario daring to go against bettman and his cronies.

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written by skatr, March 20, 2011 - 04:17 PM

Yeah, bonehead Cooke cost us the game. But Kovalev really doen't display much energy out there. Trailing on the Staal breakaway he let up not even looking for a rebound, if there would have been one. Throughout the game it just seemed like he wasn't out there to force the action, just luck into something

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written by Kevjac66, March 20, 2011 - 04:21 PM

Given Cooke's history, I expect a much longer suspension than two or four games. And he deserves it. Rest of the regular season.

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written by Bones, March 20, 2011 - 04:53 PM

Gotta wonder if Mario publically calling out the NHL will inspire them to really bring the hammer down on Cooke. I have no prolem with him sitting the rest of the reg. season.

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written by 929, March 20, 2011 - 05:03 PM

If the league doesn't give him the rest of the year, the Penguins should.

He should not dress again period.

And how do you trust him not to be a moron in the playoffs?

Honestly, if I'm the Penguins, I dump him the first chance I get.

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written by pittbeatwv, March 20, 2011 - 05:37 PM

Aaron Asham can more than ably fill Cooke's role (without being a complete moron) - he shouldn't dress again this season and should be released as soon as possible.

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written by Sieve70, March 20, 2011 - 05:45 PM

First - the "A" has to come off the jersey now - Publicly!

Second - after the suspension is over, he needs to continue to sit. And with Asham healthy (soon), that should be the end of Cooke - no room for this idiocy!

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written by Boom Shaka, March 20, 2011 - 06:11 PM

This is gonna give the Penguin haters some HUGE ammunition.

No excuse at all, it's been said a thousand times a thousand ways. With all the focus on shots to the head and when your team's owner has been very vocal against hits to the head, that move was just moronic.

I'm a pretty tried and true homer, but it's hard to look at that hit and not come away thinking he was purposely giving him a shot to the head.

That's about the clearest case of "intent" the NHL's ever gonna get.

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written by saneman, March 20, 2011 - 06:53 PM

How embarassing to see the crowd boo the refs for the Cooke penalty. I actually like Cooke as a Penguin and want him to remain a Pen. But I want the NHL to give him a few games. It is not hypocritical if you are ready to accept the same punishment for your own player. That was a dumb penalty which nearly helped the Pens after the Kunitz goal. With 1:50 left in the penalty, how did it go so wrong so fast? Story of the Pens against the Rangers and the Boston Bruins this year. Terrible final 10 minutes in a lot of those games.

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written by KRC, March 20, 2011 - 08:00 PM

Matt Cooke needs a strong chewing out at the very least (besides league action). Lemieux needs to make it perfectly clear to him that there is no longer any wiggle room. No excuses. No bull.

Cooke is a pretty good player, when he's using his brain. But this can't go on. And Matt Cooke has to realize this. And if he is incapable of doing so, he's not worth the trouble. I'm not sure what else can be done to drill this into his thick skull, other than somebody else putting his lights out with a cheap shot. And if the league doesn't censure him in a manner the players think is proper, is what this is headed to. And somebody can get seriously hurt in the process.

I'd rather not have other Penguins with targets on their backs because Matt Cooke decides to act like a dick.

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written by tennpen, March 20, 2011 - 08:09 PM

this season cant end fast enough, the Pens will be lucky to last 5 games once the playoffs begin. this team can't win close games at home, and folds like a cheap tent under pressure. shut down Crosby for the year, get rid of cooke in the summer and start over next season.

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written by sabu says, March 20, 2011 - 08:19 PM

I cant believe the garbage thats on this blog. Then again, I guess I can. after all, this is the paper that empolys the absolute worst hockey writer......ever.

There is NOTHING that Philly and the rest of the league..especially the scumbag teams that lie along the US East Coast would like to see more than Matt Cooke not in the lineup.

Horrible call by that ref. McDonough wasnt even hurt.
So just what now constitutes a 2 minute elbow vs more? These refs dont even know.

For all you pollyannas that think you're going to clean up hockey by getting rid of Cookie, yeah, good luck with that. Maybe they should all just put on skirts. As long as Mike Richards, Shawn Thornton, Sean Avery, The Islanders, Matt Bradley, Chara, PK Subpar, Evander Kane and numerous other cheap shot artists are around...i want Cooke.

Some Pens fans you are. Im sure many of you were all over Fleury earlier this year-something that made me realize that this so called "fan" base certainly has more than its share of morons.

I cant wait till we play Tampa. I hope Cooke is in the lineup and knocks Stamkos out. It seems to me most of 87's serious injuries have come against them.

You HAVE to fight fire with fire in this league. Hoping that the refs and Campbell are going to protect you just wont cut it.

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written by sabu says, March 20, 2011 - 08:30 PM

i wonder whats worse..throwing a gordie howe type elbow (yeah, he invented it years ago..and how did anyone EVER survive it or any other head shot? ) into someone, or intentionally stomping down with with your skate blade onto an unsuspecting players unprotected area of his skate--(ps the player in question has done it before)

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written by EastPAFan, March 20, 2011 - 09:34 PM

The Pens management needs to sit Cooke down and put an end to this stupidity. He is an effective player without all the BS he sometimes brings. The team as a whole needs to be more disciplined, especially with their two big guns out of the lineup.

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written by mario l, March 20, 2011 - 09:38 PM

Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But Cooke's elbow Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh wasn't hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that. The Penguins have a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. If the events relating to Cooke's elbow reflect the state of the Penguins, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of them.

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written by ncsurveygirl, March 20, 2011 - 10:01 PM

Stupid Matt Cooke! I've dropped Cookie and am now just calling him a Monster. Of course it didnt help that everyone else spent the rest of the game whining. Man up already and focus on the 2 points!

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