The Blue Jackets and Penguins, who had a very physical first-round series in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, traded blows and yaps from the start of the game, and scrums formed after most whistles.It finally erupted late in the second period.Dubinsky, who has a history of physical play against Penguins center Sidney Crosby, went a step too far at 18:40 of the second.Dubinsky took a penalty when he delivered a cross-check to the back of Crosby’s neck, sending him to the ice. The hit is a reckless one, as the Blue Jackets forward took his stick to the back of Crosby’s net as the pair were jostling for position in front of the net.
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Last season, Crosby picked up his seventh career National Hockey League fighting major when he dropped the gloves with Dubinsky during a game in February.
Following the game, Crosby told reporters he was fine. He’s kind of bent over there in front.
“I like the way we handled ourselves when they scored”, Blue Jackets coach Tortorella said.
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford and Pens head coach Mike Johnston weren’t impressed with Dubinsky either. “There’s a couple things you can deal with, but I think you have to just let ’em play”.
Johansen scored with 8:03 remaining, beating Fleury on a near-post shot at a tough angle for his fifth. It would not be the first suspension of the 2015-2016 season, though – the league has already seen five players (Gabriel Landeskog, Mark Stone, Jason Demers, Tyson Barrie, and Nikita Nesterov) see time missed for supplemental discipline in the regular season. The goal withstood Johnston’s requested video review for a possible goalie interference penalty. “We’re still taking too many penalties, but there are certain penalties that are good penalties, and a couple of those happened tonight”.
In the first period, Columbus’ blanketing forecheck presented problems for the Penguins. Patric Hornqvist sent a thundering shoulder check into Matt Calvert in the corner, and then pushed his stick into Calvert on the ice.
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Atkinson’s game-winner – set up by a pass from Dubinsky – soured a sensational night for Fleury, who made 41 saves. “I’m not surprised. If I was going to get one of those shots it would probably be from him”. Columbus tied the franchise record with its eighth win in November…. This will come ahead of Columbus’ Saturday game, scheduled for 7:00 PM CST against the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the longest such streak since the 1998-99 Islanders began with 27 straight regulation games….
