Sluggish Penguins Fall to Canucks, 3-1

Perhaps they weren't ready for an early season matinee.

Usually, afternoon games aren't seen on the NHL slate until after the All-Star break. The Penguins had an early one this season, though, and were sluggish and lethargic in losing to the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1, yesterday afternoon at Mellon Arena.

The loss was the Penguins' 2nd in the last 3 games, and left them at 12-5-3.

Pavol Demitra scored twice for Vancouver (one of which was an empty netter to seal the game), and Daniel Sedin added the other goal for the Canucks, who had taken a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period only to see center Mike Zigomanis score his first goal in a Penguin uniform 22 seconds into the final frame to make things interesting.

The Penguins could get no closer, however.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the loss was that Vancouver had to do without it's all-world goaltender and captain, Roberto Luongo, who suffered an injury in the first period and had to leave the game. Canucks' backup Curtis Sanford took over and wasn't really tested at all. The Penguins had about 20 shots in the game and only 3 in the entire second period.

The Penguins' performance definitely left something to be desired. With Luongo out, the door was open for the flightless birds. They failed to take advantage of it, however, both at even strength and on the power play -- where they were scoreless (again) in 4 opportunities.

It looked like the game was going to have a lot more energy than it did, too. About 30 seconds into the contest, there was a multi-player scrum on the ice -- the result of a Matt Cooke hipcheck that Vancouver didn't take kindly to. After Brooks Orpik intervened and squared off with Jannik Hansen, Matt Cooke and Alexander Burrows got into it. Both were given game misconducts pursuant to an NHL rule that requires ejection for players who start a fight after another fight is already going on.

Being tossed out of a game against his former club 30 seconds into things made Cooke one unhappy camper. He smashed his stick against the wall in the runway to the Penguins' dressing room.

Losing Cooke did affect the Penguins, as they were forced to mix and match their lines for most of the night. Crosby and Malkin ended up both scoreless on the afternoon.

And for some reason, even though Cooke was ejected from the game for fighting after another bout had started, the same rule must not have applied to Tyler Kennedy and Ryan Kessler. Even though they also paired off and Kennedy threw several punches with his gloves off, they both only received roughing minors.

All in all, just a bad outing from the home club.

The Penguins are off until Wednesday when they go on the road to play the Islanders on Thanksgiving eve.

Time will tell if goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is ready to go for that one. My hunch is he won't be.

More this week ...