Penguins–Islanders brawl
Encyclopedia
The Penguins–Islanders brawl was a National Hockey League
(NHL) regular season game between the Pittsburgh Penguins
and the New York Islanders
that resulted in a record for combined penalty minutes for both teams. The game was played on February 11, 2011 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
, the home arena of the Islanders. New York won the game by the score 9–3. In all 65 penalties were assessed, including 15 fighting majors and 21 game misconducts, resulting in a total of 346 minutes.
The high number of physical altercations was attributed to an incident during the prior meeting of the two teams, where Penguins forward Maxime Talbot
delivered a hit to Blake Comeau
which resulted in a concussion for Comeau. Prior to the rematch, the Islanders indicated that there would be retribution for the injury. The game itself featured two separate brawls, one of which occurred after Pittsburgh's Eric Tangradi
took an elbow to the head which caused a concussion. The NHL suspended three players for actions occurring in the game and fined the Islanders organization $100,000. After the disciplinary action was announced Penguins owner Mario Lemieux
questioned the direction of the league. Lemieux was criticized following his comments.
In the Pittsburgh Penguins
– New York Islanders
game nine days prior to the brawl, feature incidents that led to some of the hostilities between the two clubs. During the contest Penguins forward Maxime Talbot
delivered a "questionable" hit to the Islanders Blake Comeau
. The hit happened in the first period; Comeau finished the game but two days later was diagnosed with a concussion. No penalty was assessed to Talbot for the hit. Comeau missed four games with the concussion including the rematch with the Penguins.
A second incident occurred later in the game. With just 16.5 seconds left in the game Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro
shoved Penguins forward Matt Cooke
as he skated through the crease. The push knocked Cooke down and a scrum ensued, during which Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson
skated the length of the ice to engage DiPietro in a fight. The fight lasted for a single blow as Johnson landed a left hook that knocked down DiPietro. Making matter worse DiPietro suffered facial fractures from the punch, swelling in his knee, and was sidelined for six weeks.
was assessed a roughing penalty at the 2:37 mark in the first. Half way through the first period the first fight of the game occurred when Haley fought with Craig Adams. A second fight happened late in the period when the Islanders' Trevor Gillies
squared off with Penguins' enforcer Eric Godard
with just over two minutes left in the period. At the end of the first New York had scored four goals on Johnson and led 4–0.
Early in the second period New York scored two goals just 30 seconds apart taking a 6–0 lead. After the sixth goal Johnson was pulled and as he skated to the tunnel where the back-up goaltender sits he was "showered" with boos from the crowd largely due to the ramifications of his prior fight with DiPietro. Shortly after Johnson was pulled the first brawl occurred. Due to his hit on Comeau, Talbot was targeted by the Islanders and he was "jumped" and punched from behind by Matt Martin
. Martin's actions resulted in three separate fights breaking out. In his first NHL fight the Islanders' Josh Bailey
squared off with Pascal Dupuis
, while the Penguins' Mike Rupp tangled with Travis Hamonic
, and Martin fought with Deryk Engelland
. All six players were automatically ejected from the game after each received ten minute game misconduct penalties. Martin received an additional ten minute misconduct and a two minute minor for instigating the altercation. Martin's minor was off set when Engelland was assessed a minor for roughing for his part of the altercation. Three more minors were called during the period that ended with the Islanders leading the game 8–2.
At the start of the third period Johnson returned to the game and less than five minutes into the period a second brawl occurred. The melee started when Gillies elbowed Penguins forward Eric Tangradi
in the head. After the elbow Tangradi fell to the ice where he was continually punched. When Gillies was separated from Tangradi he was given a five minute major for elbowing, a double minor for roughing, a ten minute misconduct, and a ten minute game misconduct. Despite being ejected from the game Gillies continued to taunt the injured Tangradi from the runway to the dressing rooms. Tangradi left the game with an apparent concussion. While that situation was unfolding other incidents were occurring on the ice. Haley fought Talbot and while that was being broken up Johnson skated from his crease towards his blue line. Haley skated towards Johnson both players dropped their gloves and engaged in a fight. As Haley approached Godard left the bench in an attempt to protect Johnson. Godard was assessed a double minor for roughing and two game misconduct penalties, Haley received an instigator minor, two fighting majors, a ten minute misconduct, and a game misconduct (the game misconduct being automatic for a third fight in a game), while Johnson was given only a major for fighting. Although he was ejected from the game the crowd chanted Haley's name for the rest of the period whenever a scrum ensued. Another of which occurred at the 16:04 mark in the period that witnessed another six misconduct penalties. As the game wound down there was yet another fight as Joe Vitale
battled the Islanders' Andrew MacDonald
. The fight happened with just 2:47 remaining in the game but it would not be the last penalty handed out, as just 15 seconds later Ryan Craig
was given both a cross-checking minor and a ten minute misconduct. Both teams scored a goal during the third period making the final a 9–3 Islanders win. After all the ejections, at the end of the game the Penguins had seven eligible players, while the Islanders had nine. Only twelve players from both teams combined did not receive any penalties: Marc-Andre Fleury
, Alex Goligoski
, Nick Johnson
, Paul Martin, and Jordan Staal
of Pittsburgh; and Bruno Gervais
, Michael Grabner
, Milan Jurcina
, Mikko Koskinen
, Radek Martinek
, Matt Moulson
, and PA Parenteau
of New York. In all, 65 penalties were assessed, including 15 fighting major penalties and 21 game misconducts, for a total of 346 minutes. The penalty minute total set team records for both the Penguins and Islanders for combined penalty minutes.
, suffered post-concussion symptoms causing him to miss almost six weeks, which had the additional effect of making Tangradi miss the AHL
's clear day (as he could not be reassigned while injured), making Tangradi ineligible for AHL postseason play.
Following the announcement of the suspensions Penguins owner and Hockey Hall of Fame
r Mario Lemieux
questioned the direction of the league. Lemieux released a statement saying "The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed." He further added "If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it." An alternate view was expressed by Toronto Maple Leafs
General Manager Brian Burke who noted that he felt the NHL acted "swiftly, harshly and appropriately". Boston Bruins
forward Milan Lucic
agreed with Burke stating that the NHL took a stand against line brawls and intent to injure opponents.
After making his comments Lemieux himself was criticized for being hypocritical. The main contention was his lack of speaking out about incidents involving his own players. Both Hockey Night In Canada
's Don Cherry
and ESPN.com
's Scott Burnside noted that Lemieux said nothing when Penguins forward Matt Cooke
(who missed the game while serving a suspension for a blindside hit to Fedor Tyutin
) delivered a blindside hit to Bruins center Marc Savard
which caused a concussion. Burnside further noted that the Penguins lead the league in major penalties, while Cherry commented on other "dirty" hits by Pittsburgh players that Lemieux never spoke out against. Islanders enforcer Zenon Konopka
also criticized Lemieux stating "I can't believe he's that far removed from the game that he doesn't realize in the heat of the moment what happens" and also noted that the Islanders would do everything they could to protect each other. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
's Ron Cook defended Lemieux noting that although the issues brought up were "fair criticisms" he also stated that "Lemieux's criticism of the NHL was spot-on." He further pointed out that Lemieux did not complain after no suspensions were handed out after "questionable" hits were delivered to Sidney Crosby
and noted that Lemieux respected the "code" when Cooke fought Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton
in the Penguins first game against the Bruins following Cooke's hit on Savard.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) regular season game between the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
that resulted in a record for combined penalty minutes for both teams. The game was played on February 11, 2011 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
, the home arena of the Islanders. New York won the game by the score 9–3. In all 65 penalties were assessed, including 15 fighting majors and 21 game misconducts, resulting in a total of 346 minutes.
The high number of physical altercations was attributed to an incident during the prior meeting of the two teams, where Penguins forward Maxime Talbot
Maxime Talbot
Maxime Talbot is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , Talbot led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur...
delivered a hit to Blake Comeau
Blake Comeau
Blake Comeau is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
which resulted in a concussion for Comeau. Prior to the rematch, the Islanders indicated that there would be retribution for the injury. The game itself featured two separate brawls, one of which occurred after Pittsburgh's Eric Tangradi
Eric Tangradi
Eric Tangradi is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He was selected 42nd overall in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft...
took an elbow to the head which caused a concussion. The NHL suspended three players for actions occurring in the game and fined the Islanders organization $100,000. After the disciplinary action was announced Penguins owner Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
questioned the direction of the league. Lemieux was criticized following his comments.
Previous game
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
– New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
game nine days prior to the brawl, feature incidents that led to some of the hostilities between the two clubs. During the contest Penguins forward Maxime Talbot
Maxime Talbot
Maxime Talbot is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , Talbot led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur...
delivered a "questionable" hit to the Islanders Blake Comeau
Blake Comeau
Blake Comeau is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
. The hit happened in the first period; Comeau finished the game but two days later was diagnosed with a concussion. No penalty was assessed to Talbot for the hit. Comeau missed four games with the concussion including the rematch with the Penguins.
A second incident occurred later in the game. With just 16.5 seconds left in the game Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
shoved Penguins forward Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents...
as he skated through the crease. The push knocked Cooke down and a scrum ensued, during which Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
skated the length of the ice to engage DiPietro in a fight. The fight lasted for a single blow as Johnson landed a left hook that knocked down DiPietro. Making matter worse DiPietro suffered facial fractures from the punch, swelling in his knee, and was sidelined for six weeks.
Brawl game
The Islanders were "bitter" over what had transpired in the previous game and hinted that there would be retribution in the two team’s rematch on February 11, 2011. The game began as a penalty filled affair as eight penalties were called in the first period. The Islanders started the physical play early in the game as Micheal HaleyMicheal Haley
Micheal Haley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. Haley was signed as a free agent by the New York Islanders on May 19, 2008...
was assessed a roughing penalty at the 2:37 mark in the first. Half way through the first period the first fight of the game occurred when Haley fought with Craig Adams. A second fight happened late in the period when the Islanders' Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the New York Islanders organization of the National Hockey League . Gillies is primarily used as an enforcer.-Playing career:...
squared off with Penguins' enforcer Eric Godard
Eric Godard
Eric Godard is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Texas Stars.-Playing career:Godard played junior hockey with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League...
with just over two minutes left in the period. At the end of the first New York had scored four goals on Johnson and led 4–0.
Early in the second period New York scored two goals just 30 seconds apart taking a 6–0 lead. After the sixth goal Johnson was pulled and as he skated to the tunnel where the back-up goaltender sits he was "showered" with boos from the crowd largely due to the ramifications of his prior fight with DiPietro. Shortly after Johnson was pulled the first brawl occurred. Due to his hit on Comeau, Talbot was targeted by the Islanders and he was "jumped" and punched from behind by Matt Martin
Matt Martin (ice hockey b. 1989)
Matthew Martin is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League ....
. Martin's actions resulted in three separate fights breaking out. In his first NHL fight the Islanders' Josh Bailey
Josh Bailey
Joshua Bailey is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who now plays for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . Bailey was selected 9th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft....
squared off with Pascal Dupuis
Pascal Dupuis
Pascal Dupuis is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, while the Penguins' Mike Rupp tangled with Travis Hamonic
Travis Hamonic
Travis Hamonic is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League...
, and Martin fought with Deryk Engelland
Deryk Engelland
Deryk Engelland is a professional ice hockey defenceman and forward currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
. All six players were automatically ejected from the game after each received ten minute game misconduct penalties. Martin received an additional ten minute misconduct and a two minute minor for instigating the altercation. Martin's minor was off set when Engelland was assessed a minor for roughing for his part of the altercation. Three more minors were called during the period that ended with the Islanders leading the game 8–2.
At the start of the third period Johnson returned to the game and less than five minutes into the period a second brawl occurred. The melee started when Gillies elbowed Penguins forward Eric Tangradi
Eric Tangradi
Eric Tangradi is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He was selected 42nd overall in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft...
in the head. After the elbow Tangradi fell to the ice where he was continually punched. When Gillies was separated from Tangradi he was given a five minute major for elbowing, a double minor for roughing, a ten minute misconduct, and a ten minute game misconduct. Despite being ejected from the game Gillies continued to taunt the injured Tangradi from the runway to the dressing rooms. Tangradi left the game with an apparent concussion. While that situation was unfolding other incidents were occurring on the ice. Haley fought Talbot and while that was being broken up Johnson skated from his crease towards his blue line. Haley skated towards Johnson both players dropped their gloves and engaged in a fight. As Haley approached Godard left the bench in an attempt to protect Johnson. Godard was assessed a double minor for roughing and two game misconduct penalties, Haley received an instigator minor, two fighting majors, a ten minute misconduct, and a game misconduct (the game misconduct being automatic for a third fight in a game), while Johnson was given only a major for fighting. Although he was ejected from the game the crowd chanted Haley's name for the rest of the period whenever a scrum ensued. Another of which occurred at the 16:04 mark in the period that witnessed another six misconduct penalties. As the game wound down there was yet another fight as Joe Vitale
Joe Vitale (ice hockey)
Joe Vitale is an American ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization of the National Hockey League. Vitale began his professional career in 2009 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League....
battled the Islanders' Andrew MacDonald
Andrew MacDonald (ice hockey)
Andrew MacDonald is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the New York Islanders organization of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The fight happened with just 2:47 remaining in the game but it would not be the last penalty handed out, as just 15 seconds later Ryan Craig
Ryan Craig
Ryan Craig is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
was given both a cross-checking minor and a ten minute misconduct. Both teams scored a goal during the third period making the final a 9–3 Islanders win. After all the ejections, at the end of the game the Penguins had seven eligible players, while the Islanders had nine. Only twelve players from both teams combined did not receive any penalties: Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
, Alex Goligoski
Alex Goligoski
Alexander Marcus Flint Goligoski is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson (ice hockey)
Nick Johnson is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. he is currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Paul Martin, and Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal
Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
of Pittsburgh; and Bruno Gervais
Bruno Gervais
Bruno Gervais is a professional ice hockey defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Michael Grabner
Michael Grabner
Michael René Grabner is an Austrian professional ice hockey player playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . Grabner grew up playing for the local team in Villach, EC VSV. He moved to North America at the age of 17 and joined the Spokane Chiefs of the major junior Western...
, Milan Jurcina
Milan Jurcina
Milan Jurcina is a Slovak ice hockey defenceman currently with the New York Islanders of the NHL.- Playing career :The 6-foot-4 Slovak was drafted by the Boston Bruins 241st overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
, Mikko Koskinen
Mikko Koskinen
Mikko Koskinen is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for KalPa in the SM-Liiga.-Playing career:Koskinen was drafted 31st overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft after playing for the Espoo Blues in the Finnish SM-Liiga. He was the first goalie taken in...
, Radek Martinek
Radek Martinek
Radek Martínek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Matt Moulson
Matt Moulson
Matthew Keith Moulson is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, and PA Parenteau
Pierre Parenteau
Pierre-Alexandre "P. A." Parenteau is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of New York. In all, 65 penalties were assessed, including 15 fighting major penalties and 21 game misconducts, for a total of 346 minutes. The penalty minute total set team records for both the Penguins and Islanders for combined penalty minutes.
Aftermath
The day after the game the NHL handed out suspensions and fines for the incidents. New York's Gillies received a nine game suspension and Martin was given four games for their actions, which NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell called "deliberate attempts to injure". The Islanders organization was also fined $100,000 for "failure to control their players". Pittsburgh's Godard was given an automatic 10 game suspension for violating league rules prohibiting players from leaving the bench to join a fight, while Tangradi, a recent callup from the WBS PenguinsWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza...
, suffered post-concussion symptoms causing him to miss almost six weeks, which had the additional effect of making Tangradi miss the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's clear day (as he could not be reassigned while injured), making Tangradi ineligible for AHL postseason play.
Following the announcement of the suspensions Penguins owner and Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
r Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
questioned the direction of the league. Lemieux released a statement saying "The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed." He further added "If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it." An alternate view was expressed by Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
General Manager Brian Burke who noted that he felt the NHL acted "swiftly, harshly and appropriately". Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
forward Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger of Serbian origin currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League for three seasons and captured a Memorial Cup, while being named...
agreed with Burke stating that the NHL took a stand against line brawls and intent to injure opponents.
After making his comments Lemieux himself was criticized for being hypocritical. The main contention was his lack of speaking out about incidents involving his own players. Both Hockey Night In Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
's Don Cherry
Don Cherry
Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
and ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
's Scott Burnside noted that Lemieux said nothing when Penguins forward Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents...
(who missed the game while serving a suspension for a blindside hit to Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Anatolievich Tyutin is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
) delivered a blindside hit to Bruins center Marc Savard
Marc Savard
Marc Savard is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League , but who has not played since late in the season because of post-concussion syndrome...
which caused a concussion. Burnside further noted that the Penguins lead the league in major penalties, while Cherry commented on other "dirty" hits by Pittsburgh players that Lemieux never spoke out against. Islanders enforcer Zenon Konopka
Zenon Konopka
Zenon Konopka is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Konopka is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
also criticized Lemieux stating "I can't believe he's that far removed from the game that he doesn't realize in the heat of the moment what happens" and also noted that the Islanders would do everything they could to protect each other. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
's Ron Cook defended Lemieux noting that although the issues brought up were "fair criticisms" he also stated that "Lemieux's criticism of the NHL was spot-on." He further pointed out that Lemieux did not complain after no suspensions were handed out after "questionable" hits were delivered to Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
and noted that Lemieux respected the "code" when Cooke fought Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton
Shawn Thornton
Shawn Thornton is a Canadian professional hockey forward for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is known to be an enforcer.-Playing career:...
in the Penguins first game against the Bruins following Cooke's hit on Savard.
Penalty summary
Below is a table showing players from both teams and the number of penalties and penalties in minutes they received.| Player | Team | Penalties | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYI | 7 | 39 | |
| NYI | 6 | 34 | |
| PIT | 6 | 31 | |
| NYI | 4 | 27 | |
| PIT | 3 | 17 | |
| NYI | 3 | 17 | |
| PIT | 3 | 17 | |
| NYI | 4 | 16 | |
| NYI | 2 | 15 | |
| PIT | 2 | 15 | |
| PIT | 2 | 15 | |
| PIT | 2 | 12 | |
| PIT | 2 | 12 | |
| NYI | 2 | 12 | |
| PIT | 2 | 12 | |
| PIT | 2 | 12 | |
| NYI | 1 | 10 | |
| NYI | 2 | 7 | |
| PIT | 2 | 7 | |
| PIT | 1 | 5 | |
| NYI | 1 | 2 | |
| PIT | 1 | 2 | |
| PIT | 1 | 2 | |
| NYI | 1 | 2 | |
| PIT | 1 | 2 | |
| NYI | 1 | 2 | |
| PIT | 1 | 2 |
External links
- Official boxscore at NHL.com