Discipline issues cause embarrassing loss
Pittsburgh Head Coach, Mike Johnston, arguing with a linesman during a Penguins game.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
In pitiful fashion the Detroit Red Wings beat the Penguins Sunday 5-1. This marks the second loss in 2 days for the Penguins and fans are wondering if the team will be able to get it together before the playoffs. The ridiculous dearth of control was the story of the game and it needs to be addressed if the Penguins want to avoid a first round exit from the playoffs.
The Penguins went into the game without the aid of Evgeni Malkin. It was evident from the outset that the Penguins were not dialed in. Their absence of focus got the Penguins into penalty trouble early. Steve Downie had a 10 minute misconduct in the 1st period and Christ Kunitz followed that up with another minor penalty which aided Detroit finishing the 1st period up 2-0. The Penguins finished the game with a total of 64 penalty minutes. Sloppy play and poor decision making were some of the major causes for this embarrassing loss at home. Another reason has to do with the referees.
It has been consistent this season at Penguins home games when opposing teams could practically get away with anything on the ice. Yesterday was no exception. The referees seem to either forget most of the rules when they arrive in Pittsburgh or they simply choose not to call the game the way the rules are written. Dejan Kovacevic said it best, " the NHL's officiating is an abomination," (http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/03/15/column-petulant-penguins-show-ugliest-face/). If the NHL could make the officials review game film to go over why calls were missed, and why some calls were made versus others, it would go a long way towards improving the quality of the officiating. The NHL needs to address these issues in order to keep players safe and ensure the rules are enforced correctly.
The result of the game moved Pittsburgh to the top of the standings, but not in a good way. The Penguins became the most penalized team in the league with 1,002 penalty minutes (http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/03/15/column-petulant-penguins-show-ugliest-face/). This is an unacceptable statistic. Mike Johnston, Penguins Head Coach, said after the game that it was unusual for his team to be undisciplined so soon into the game. Johnston was asked how he would address the issue of the continuing penalty trouble but he did not know what the reporter was talking about. If Johnston can not see the failures of staying out of the penalty box then the players need to hold themselves accountable; however, the Head Coach is ultimately responsible for the discipline of his team.
