He also knew it was coming because:
1) He knew Mario pissed off Gary Bettman by calling the NHL on the carpet over head shots
2) The league had just wrapped up its winter meetings where head shots were a hot topic

But the suspension he got was silly. It was, at the time because the Penguins were not a lock for the playoffs, a minimum of 10 games (if they had missed the playoffs) and a maximum of 17 games (if they played a seven game opening round having made the playoffs). Now the suspension, with the Penguins having made the playoffs is a minimum of 14 games.

It was a silly suspension because, I bring this up again, Gillies of the Islanders … sorry I mean the New York Goons … chased down a man across the ice, knocked him down and then continued to beat on him while he was on the ice and got just 9 games. Then Gillies came back from suspension and in his first game back threw a blatant elbow and promptly got a 10 game suspension. At least Cooke waited a few games between coming off his last suspension and his latest infraction for crying out loud!

There was little doubt at the time of the Cooke suspension that the league was sending Mario a message to sit down, shut up, and stop making them look so bad. There is even less doubt now.

Last night, repeat offender, and Red Wings thumper, Todd Bertuzzi proved that. You might remember Mr. Bertuzzi. He is the schlub that punched Steve Moore from behind on March 8th, 2004. Moore suffered a concussion, facial lacerations and several broken vertebrae. That incident got Bertuzzi suspended indefinitely by the league and he wound up missing 20 games (13 regular season and 7 in the playoffs).

Bertuzzi has not seriously cleaned up his act since. He regularly finds any excuse he can to hit players late. In 2003-04 he amassed 122 PIMs in just 69 games. In 2005-06 he massed 120 PIMs in 82 games. In 2006-2007 he netted only 13 PIMs but also only played in 15 games. In 2007-08 Bertuzi had 97 PIMs in just 68 games. In 2008-2009 he got sent to the sin bin for 74 minutes in just 66 games. Last year he had a respectable year of just 80 minutes in 82 games. This year the aging winger has been able to get just 61 penalty minutes. This however is due mostly to the fact that he can no longer chase down players the way he used to. Make no mistake he would love to! But he just cannot.

And he was up to his old tricks again last night as he found an excuse to throw a purposeful elbow into the head of Ryan Johnson. Of course Red Wings fans, who as we here in the ‘Burgh have learned are some of the most ignorant and ill-educated hockey fans, around are defending the hit calling it unintentional. I have read numerous praises for Bertuzzi as being a “gentleman” for immediately seeking out Johnson and apologizing for the hit that got him a 5 minute major as well as ejected from the game. Coming from a Detroit fan ok, I can see why a thug who apologizes would be a “gentleman” in their eyes considering most of the thugs on Detroit’s streets have no such courtesy. I mean, could you imagine? It would be laughable to see a gangsta thug rob a woman at gun point and then tell her how sorry he was!

I have even seen comments from Johnson claiming that he does not think the hit was intentional. Ok, so because Johnson is too stupid to know what Bertuzzi was trying to do to him that makes it ok?

The video says it all and here it is. My commentary follows:

You can clearly see at around 0:39 of this clip (during the replay) that Bertuzzi sees that Johnson’s head is down as he tries to clear the puck. Bertuzzi lifts his elbow, rides it up Johnson’s arm and straight into his head. His right elbow is more than halfway up and Bertuzzi, seeing that he was going to miss Johnson, threw that elbow out there on purpose. There is no doubt about this. That is except to the NHL brass, Red Wings fans and other assorted people who know little to nothing about hockey.

Today the league announced Bertuzzi’s punishment. That punishment? Zero games suspension. Oh yeah, the NHL is really serious about hits to the head and cracking down on repeat offenders. Nope. What the league is really about is making sure Mario knows his place. Bettman cannot stand that Lemieux knows more about what’s up that he does and he certainly cannot stand that Lemieux gets more respect than him. I mean honestly, if you walk into a room and on one end is Mario and the other is Bugsy Bettman, who do you think is going to have the bigger crowd. I mean of legitimate hockey fans, not brown-nosing yes men. Of course it is going to be Mario.

So Bettman acts like a thug to get even. He slaps Cooke hard, lets Gillies off with a relatively comparable love tap and lets Todd Bertuzzi get off scott free.

The joke that is the NHL just keeps running.

Mario Lemieux, normally withdrawn from league matters, had some harsh words for the league after the league pathetically suspended Islander goon Trevor Gillies for a mere nine games after he deliberately hunted down Eric Tangradi, knocked him silly and then pounded on him while he was on the ice.

Here is a video of all all the “action” that night on the Island in case you forgot. At about 6:10 is where you see Gillies skate all the way across the ice to hunt down Tangradi:

During this scrum, the Islanders’ Haley then skates down the ice to confront Penguin’s goalie Brent Johnson to which Eric Goddard reacts by jumping off the bench to defend his netminder. Out of this entire incident THIS is what Islanders fans emailed me the most about and griped over; about how Goddard is such a “goon” that he came off the bench to defend his goalie against a player that skated all the way down the ice to seek him out.

Of course the fighting was not over. But it was enough for anyone that knows anything about hockey, which I will not accuse your typical Islanders fan of being such a person, that the behavior of the team from New York was pathetic.

Goddard, for jumping off the bench and defending his goalie got an automatic ten games suspension. The league decided that Gillies only warranted a nine game suspension for his actions. Islanders fans justified this whole sham of a game as revenge for what Johnson did to DiPietro, a man who as of right now gets hurt just looking at a hockey rink it seems.

Well then what is the excuse for Gillies last night then? Yes, fresh off his suspension for beating Tangradi in the back of the head, Gillies was back to head hunting against Minnesota’s Cal Clutterbuck? There wasn’t a Penguin to be found anywhere near the rink. Matt Cooke wasn’t even in the same state. But here is Gillies acting like a thug again.

What’s the excuse this time I ask again? Did Clutterbuck lace his skates in a way that drove Gillies into a fit of rage?

Fifty games. That was Gillies deserves. We’re not talking about a “repeat offender” here who plays on the edge and throws a questionable hit every 15 or 20 games. We are talking about a goon who, fresh off a nine game suspension for gooning it up on the ice, rushes back out on to the ice in his first game back to do it all over again. And while we’re at it, maybe the league should fine Garth Snow a cool million too since it is clear he is the mastermind behind this latest pathetic performance on Long Island.

How do you like your new team New York?

Thursday night they put up a spirited effort against a Devils team that seems to have finally figured out how to win.  But they came up short and shut down by the one thing that hasn’t changed in New Jersey this year.  That would be Martin Brodeur.  Oh, they had their chances.  They just could not finish.

Last night the Hurricanes came to town.  A mediocre team this year, the Penguins built a 3-0 lead on an even strength goal by Dustin Jeffrey (2), a power play goal by Mark Letestu (10) and a short handed goal by Pascal Dupuis (10).  Good thing too because Carolina scored twice in the final five minutes to make the game look respectable.

This may be the way the Penguins have to cope until the two headed monster returns.  Without those two they are as good, still, as your average team sitting at 8th or 9th in the Eastern Conference and they are better than teams like the Islanders who they will play to end things out before the All Star Break and to start things up afterwards.

Win the games against the bottom feeders.  Pull out a couple among the better teams.  Then when the team gets healthy make the final run for the playoffs.

Facing off against the lowly New York Islanders, the stars looked align for a good night which started with commemorative tickers to all fans in attendance, then a ceremony celebrating all the great players who have skated on the arena’s ice and which fans hopes would end with a victory. Especially considering that there is still a chance for the Penguins to rise in the standings before the end of the season depending on what they and the Devils do.

Just 23 seconds in, Brooks Orpik (2) helped the Penguins stake out a 1-0 lead. At 5:01 Alex Goligoski (8) made it 2-0 on the power play. But the Penguins gave the Islanders a chance with a power play and the lead was cut to 2-1 just three and a half minutes later.

Evgeni Malkin (26) stretched the score to 3-1 with just under five minutes remaining but not even two minutes later the Islanders against scored to make it a 3-2 game. With just 58 seconds left in the first period however Sidney Crosby (49) notched another goal to make it a 4-2 contest.

Fleury, honestly looked shaky in net. When the second period resumed and with just about seven minutes gone the Islanders scored again to once again make it a one goal game and move the score to 4-3.

It took a while but the Penguins put the hammer down. Bill Guerin (20) added his twentieth of the season on the power play and two minutes later Mr. (Tyler) Kennedy (13) added another marker. When the smoke cleared at the end of the second, the score stood at Penguins 6 and the Islanders 3.

Bill Guerin (21) added goal number seven at 1:46 of the third and the Penguins cruised to a victory to put them back into a points wise tie with New Jersey in the Eastern Conference. However New Jersey holds all tie breakers.

Some people have been wondering when the Penguins, who frankly have looked like they were willing to sleep walk through the final month of the season were going to flip the switch and get serious after failing to put up much of a fight against teams like New Jersey and Washington. Well, honestly, it probably still hasn’t happened even though last night was a positive sign. And spare me please the stats about how the Penguins have won more than they have lost over the past thirty some odd days. Their record is not that good.

Since March 1st, by my count, this team is 10-5-4. Which is basically .500 in the win loss department when you properly count the over time and shoot out losses as what they are – losses. This team is 10-9. Not only are they 10-9 but the have lost to both New Jersey and Washington twice in that span. You know, important teams that they will have to face more likely than not come the playoffs?

But there were some good sings that this team actually has their fingers on that switch and are indeed ready to flip it and get serious. After a first period where the Penguins defense and goal tending (yes, Fleury is not playing well and highly at fault so stop making excuses for him about how the defense is letting him down) Fleury played like Fleury on a flurry of shots by the Islanders in the second where he had to stop three point blank shots. The last one he was badly out of position but still defending his net like the man that helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins put their boots on the Islanders necks after this and never let them get up. Again, another problem the Penguins have had is letting teams stick around and not putting them away.

Two games remain. And neither are cake walks despite them being against Atlanta and the New York Islanders again. The Penguins need to build momentum and win both. Not just to convince fans that they are ready for another run at Lord Stanley’s cup but also to convince their opponents that the Penguins are a threat to win against anyone, anywhere and any time. And besides, there is still the chance to finish even higher in the standing at stake as well.

I asked who scored the last two goals and he informed me that it had been Crosby (13) and Talbot (1). I remarked saying it was about time because Valiquette for the Rangers had looked shaky for the 15 minutes of the period that I had a chance to watch. I said that there would be a lot more.

How right I was. Although apparently the hosts of the post game show on 105.9 disagreed with me and thought that Valiquette played well but his team had quit on him, it was obvious to anyone that was watching the game that the Rangers back up goalie was not playing at all well and would be no match for the Penguins now mostly health lineup.

But like the day before against the Islanders, a game which the Penguins let slip away, it was clear that the Rangers were not going to go quietly. Early in the second period Matt Gilroy (4) scored to cut the lead to 3-2. Then with 3/10ths of a second remaining in the period Mark Eaton (3) found the back of the net after the Penguins refused to just dump the puck and concede that a one goal lead headed into the third would be enough.

That was a good thing as just 0:33 into the third period former Penguin Michal Rosival (1) beat Fleury to make it 4-3. That however woke up the sleeping giant as the Penguins poured on the offense for the rest of the game. Sidney Crosby (14, 15) scored twice more for a hat trick on, surprisingly enough, a night where the free giveaway was hats and Dupuis (7) and Missssterrrrrrrrrrrrrr Tyler Kennedy (6) added two more goals for an 8-3 victory.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped just 22 of 25 shots on a night were despite holding the net well he often looked like he was scrambling and uncertain.

Towards the end however the Rangers gooned up taking any Penguin they could find with them for a scrap. And of course Sean Avery had to get involved taking a solo fighting major, game misconduct and instigator penalty with just over six minutes remaining in the game to put the Penguins on the power play for the remainder of the contest. However the Penguins really did not seem all too interested in racking up more goals and were obviously content to control the puck and run down the clock.

It was all a sad spectacle from the Rangers (13-12-1) considering that they have a chance on Monday night to settle scores as the Penguins (18-9-0) visit them in New York.

Notes:
Chris Bourque was scratched to make room for Tyler (Mister) Kennedy in the starting lineup following his return from injury. Bourque is playing on borrowed time it seems with the Penguins. He plays hard and is aggressive but he has only managed 3 assists in 18 games and is a -4 with the Penguins this year despite playing along side of some of the premier players in the league. How much longer the Penguins keep Bourque on the active roster when there are other talents in the minors making a case for playing time is anyone’s guess.

The Penguins took advantage of a Montreal squad that had to come from behind the night before and limited them to just 17 shots on net. Had there been more, the score might have turned out differently as Fleury definitely saved the Penguins bacon with several great plays and a little bit of luck. The Penguins accomplished the low shot total on Fleury by pressing the attack in the Montreal zone for most of the night.

The Penguins received goals from Crosby (12), Guerin (6) and Gonchar (3) to stake out a 3-0 lead heading into the third period that they would not relinquish. Crosby scored on a rare shot from high at the left circle that surprised Carey Price. Guerin bashed a loose puck between Price’s pads in the second and Gonchar took a puck right up the middle and opened up Price for the Penguin’s third goal.

The win was the Penguins 17th in 25 games this season and ties a team record. The club also won 17 of its first 25 in 94-95 and 95-96.

After last night the Penguins held on to first place in the East with 24 pts just ahead of Washington who also has 24 pts but fewer wins also in 25 games. Montreal sank to 12-12-1 and are still struggling with injuries.

The Penguins however must face a back to back test this week on Friday and Saturday. On Friday the Pens have to travel to Long Island for a 2:00 PM scrum with the 9-9-7 Islanders and then return home Saturday to host the 13-10-1 Rangers.

After loosing four games in a row as the Penguins injury situation looked bleak, the Penguins have since been getting more healthy and have gone 5-1 in their last six games.

But even with that performance it was Sidney Crosby and the Penguins that won on Saturday night, a day after the Penguins opened their season with a win against the Rangers and on a night that was the Islanders season opener. His Sidness opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first taking a bank pass off the board from Fedotenko and the other side of the ice to get behind the defense. Crosby cut into the offensive zone, behind the defense and opened up Islander goal tender Roloson for the 1-0 lead. The first period was a sloppy period for the Penguins however as they started taking too many uncharacteristic and down right bad penalties. After Brenden Witt put a clean open ice hit on Ruslan Fedotenko McKee and Malkin both got sent to the box and McKee’s penalty for instigating, a penalty the NHL has said they would enforce this year, was extremely painful as it gave the Islanders a 5-3 on which they scored to tie the game at 1-1.

In the second Tavares (1) scored to make the game 2-1. But in the third at 7:19 of the frame Mark Eaton (1) scored to not the score at 2. Less than half a minute later however, the Islanders Trent Hunter (1) put the home team back on top. It wasn’t until less than four minutes remained at 16:11 that Fedotenko (1) scored and the Penguins played hard down the stretch to force overtime.

After a scoreless 5:00 of OT the shootout sealed the deal for the Penguins with both of the first two lslander shooters missing high glove side on Fleury (something I have regularly pointed out in the past seemed to be his weakness) and both Letang and Crosby beating Roloson on the first two shots the Pens would take.

Fleury was spectacular again stopping 25 of 28 shots and making big saves by kicking out the pads and flashing leather when needed to stop what appeared to be primo scoring chances by the Isles. With a 2-0 mark to open the season the Penguins are off until Wednesday when they return home to host the Pheonix Coyotes.

Boucher was obviously overwhelmed in his first shift starting the game and quickly was replaced on the ice after several fumbles and missteps. The Penguins as a team played sloppy as well and took two penalties in the first five minutes which lead to an early 0-1 deficit for Pittsburgh. But Boucher and the Penguins stormed back. Boucher (3) scored off a rebound and, crashing the net late in the first to tie the game and the team never looked back as they rattled off five more unanswered goals from Dupuis (12), Cooke (13), Guerin (21), Crosby (33) and lastly Misterrrrrrrrrrr Kennnnneddyyyyyyyyyyy (15) to end the scoring.

The win keeps the Penguins with an outside chance at home ice advantage in the playoffs however, for that to happen Carolina must lose their final game against New Jersey (a possibility) and Philadelphia must do no better than split their remaining games against the Islanders and Rangers (also possible). But the Penguins must also win Saturday against the Canadiens which would give them, if this scenario plays out, two more points than Carolina, and the either the same or two more points than Philadelphia with the Penguins holding the head to head tie-breaker.

Regardless, the Penguins have the 6th seed locked up and can drop no further. All that is left to be determined is who they will face in round one and where.

Guerin has just 36 points including 16 goals this season for the hapless Islanders but is a perpetual 20 goal scorer with an appetite for destruction and taste for physical play making him a prime candidate to be along side Crosby as not only a scoring threat but also an enforcer to keep other teams honest about liberties they might choose to take on Crosby. Sure he is 38, but I remind you he has scored 16 goals for a pathetic Islander team so hopefully he will only get better once in the Black and Gold.

It did not take long for Pittsburgh to let New York know that they were looking for a whipping boy to take their recent frustrations out on. Dupuis (4) scored at 6:41 of the first to bring the crowd to its feet and at 13:49 Satan (11) scored on the power play to make it a 2-0 game. The Streit (7) scored late in the period for the Islanders to make the score 2-1 on the power play. But it was a short lived victory as the Penguins stormed in to the New York zone and Petr Sykora (8) found the back of the twine from Malkin (36) and Fedotenko (6) 0:11 later.

But the Penguins were not done. Thirty-nine seconds later Boucher (1) scored his first to make the score 4-1 going into the locker room. Joey MacDonald allowed 4 goals on 19 shots and was chased from the net to start the second in favor of Yann Danis. He fared no better allowing four more Penguin goals in the second on fourteen shots. Malkin (12) scored at even strength just 2:12 in, Petr Sykora (9, 10) scored at 7:53 and 15:42 on two power plays for his first ever hat trick despite lots of two goal games and Dupuis (5) scored his second of the game with just 0:31 left in the period to make the game an 8-1 affair and the Islanders without another option in goal to stop the bleeding.

The third period began and dragged on with the Penguins managing just five shots. But it was clear that Coach Therrien wanted to try to get Dupuis a hat trick and I was constantly yelling “Dupuis!” every time he hit the ice or touched the puck which certainly got a rise out of the crowd as the call apparently echoed around the quickly emptying seats. Some other fans soon got into the act doing a chant of “Du (doo)!” and then “Puis (pwee)!” several times in the final frame. Even though the Penguins looked content to milk the 8-1 lead to a victory and even though Sutton (1) scored at 13:06 to cut that lead to a paltry six, those of us constantly cheering for a second hat trick were not disappointed when Dupuis (6) did indeed find the net again on a feed from Cooke (10) at 16:48 to make the score 9-2.

It was about this time that I started yelling for the team to start working on a hat trick for Tim Wallace too which drew a few chuckles.

Dan Curry performed solidly in net to spell Dany Sabourin stopping 24 of 26 shots on the night including some impressive saves from time to time against an anemic Islanders attack. The win was only the Penguins second in the month (2-3-1) and helped them improve to 16-9-4 (36 pts) heading into the weekend and a match up Saturday against Philadelphia who are ahead of the Penguins in Atlantic and the East.