February 2, 2011, Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers game story for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
By Denis Gorman
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
NEW YORK — That the Penguins are short-handed at center is not news. That they may not have their top three centers for the first full week of February is.
Jordan Staal may face punishment from the NHL for a gloved punch to the face of New York right wing Brandon Prust in the Penguins' 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Dustin Jeffrey scored the game-winning goal in the shootout. The Atlantic Division rivals have split the first four regular season games.
The Penguins were short-handed as Sidney Crosby (concussion), Evgeni Malkin (sinus infection) and Mark Letestu (leg) did not play, and lost Arron Asham and Jordan Staal during the game. Asham was injured while Staal was assessed a game misconduct and match penalty after throwing a straight right jab to Prust's jaw that sent him spinning to the ice. Staal was responding to Prust having knocked Tyler Kennedy to the ice during a battle along the boards in front of the Rangers bench.
Staal was not available for comment after the game. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was.
"I wasn't particularly fond of the call," Bylsma said. "Certainly they are going to look, and am sure they have already looked at the situation. We'll make a judgment on that."
Atlanta enforcer Ben Eager sat for four games in January for a similar incident involving Toronto right wing Colby Armstrong.
The Staal-Prust episode overshadowed what had been a strong effort by the Penguins to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Prust's eighth goal of the season opened the scoring 3:52 into game, and Artem Anisimov increased the Rangers' lead to 2-0 by jamming rebound into the net 101 seconds into the second. Marc-Andre Fleury had stopped initial shots in both instances but could not control the rebound and was out of position to stop the second shot. Fleury stopped 23 shots.
Jeffrey cut the lead in half, 2-1, 5:30 into the second period with a power play rocket over Henrik Lundqvist's stick side. Jeffrey was called up from AHL Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Mike Rupp's fifth goal of the season at 10:36 of the second period tied the game at two. Max Talbot drove up the boards past Michael Del Zotto and threw a shot at Lundqvist. New York's All-Star goaltender could not control the rebound and an unchecked Rupp jammed the rebound into the cage. Lundqvist made 26 saves.
John Tortorella shot down a notion that his team may have had a sense of entitlement as they welcomed Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky and Dan Girardi back while the Penguins were short-handed.
"We're not good enough. We have to be ready at all times. That's still a good hockey team over there. Their back end is one of the better back ends in the league," Tortorella said before the game. "I may sound stupid, but when you have Crosby and Malkin, I still think their back end is a really important part of that club. They're all there. They find ways to win. They've found ways to win."
The defense contributed to the Pens' third goal as Zbynek Michalek's drive was tipped past Lundqvist by Chris Kunitz. The goal was the 17th of the season for Kunitz.
Callahan's tip of Michael Del Zotto's shot with 13 seconds left in the second period was the Rangers' lone goal during a five-minute power play. But it tied the game at 3-3.
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posted by Denis P. Gorman at 11:39 AM
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