Pittsburgh Penguins History: Most Penalized Games vs. Canadiens
By Rob Joncas
Under the NHL’s “new” playoff format, the fifth-place Pittsburgh Penguins will battle the twelfth-place Montreal Canadiens. Here is a look back at the Penguins and Canadiens most penalized games in the playoffs.
Once the NHL announced their initial plans for a return to hockey, Pittsburgh Penguins social media blew up with the assertion that the Penguins would not be able to get past Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens.
While the Penguins odds in a series vs. the Canadiens, look pretty good right now, we have to keep history in mind, as Pittsburgh is 0-2 (1998 and 2010) in series vs. Montreal.
During the Penguins and Canadiens 13 postseason games in 1998 and 2010, the teams have combined for 301 penalty minutes.
- Penguins – 139 PIM
- Canadiens – 162 PIM
With that in perspective here is a look back at a few of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens most Penalized games in the playoffs.
May 2, 2010 – Game 2
It did not take long for the bad blood between the Penguins and the Canadiens to start boiling, in fact by the end of Game 2, Pittsburgh had earned the most penalty minutes in a single game against Montreal
Craig Adams was the worst offender in the game, earning 15 PIM on cross-checking and a game misconduct call. Ruslan Fedotenko (Interference) and Brooks Orpik (holding) added four more minutes to the total,l to give the Penguins 19 PIM in the game.
It was too bad for Pittsburgh that Mike Cammalleri scored the game-winning goal (GWG) while Orpik was serving his holding call.
Apr. 29, 1998 – Game 4
The Canadiens hold the single-game record for PIM vs. the Penguins, with 32 PIM earned during Game 4 of their 1998 series.
Montreal strictly adhered to the age-old adage, “if you can’t beat them, then beat them”.
Shayne Corson earned the most PIM, with 14 on calls for cross-checking, slashing, and a game misconduct. Scott Thorton earned 4 PIM with two high-sticking calls and six other Montreal players took 2 PIM each.
The Penguins made the most of their opportunities converting on three of their power-play chances. Jaromir Jagr, Rob Brown, Kevin Hatcher scored the goals.
Game 4 was also a rather spirited affair for the Penguins as well as they collected 18 PIM.
- Chris Tamer – 2 PIM – Roughing
- Darius Kasparaitis – 2 PIM – Interference
- Martin Straka – 2 PIM – Holding
- Fredrick Oluasson – 2 PIM – Interference
- Tom Barrasso – 2 PIM – Slashing
- Hatcher- 4 PIM – Spearing
- Jagr – 2 PIM – Roughing
- Brown – 2 PIM – Tripping
The Penguins also collected two short-handed goals in their 6-3 victory, on tallies from Ed Olczyk and Jagr.
Apr. 23, 1998 – Game 1
The Penguins and Canadiens exchanged dis-pleasantries very early in their 1998 series with the Penguins racking up 18 PIM in Game 1.
With penalty calls on:
- Tyler Wright – 4 PIM – Boarding and Roughing
- Brad Werenka – 2 PIM – Interference
- Jiri Slegr – 2 PIM – Hooking
- Kasparaitis – 4 PIM – Interference and Roughing
- Hatcher – 4 PIM – Tripping and Hooking
- Brown – 2 PIM – Roughing
Luckily the Penguins only surrendered just one goal on the powerplay to Martin Ruchinsky who capitalized on Wright’s boarding call in the first period.
Pittsburgh did manage to score a shorthanded goal when Werenka put one past Andy Moog, with Kasaparaitis in the box serving an interference call.
Do you think the upcoming series between the Penguins and Canadiens will give us lots of penalties?