Johnson, Penguins knock out Islanders, 3-0
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Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson knocks down Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro with a punch in the third period of Wednesday's game at Consol Energy Center.
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Penguins backup goaltender Brent Johnson stopped all 20 New York Islanders shots he faced Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center, but he didn't get the shutout in a 3-0 win.
"Oh, no, the shutout doesn't really matter," Johnson said.
Johnson stopped all 20 Islanders shots, but willingly and gladly gave up what would have been his second shutout this season and 15th of his career. He reverted to old-school hockey when he stood up for teammate Matt Cooke and fought -- and decked -- Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro with 16.5 seconds left in regulation.
"I'm pretty proud of him," Cooke said. "He did a great job."
Johnson took exception to DiPietro clotheslining Cooke, a move that sparked a scrum in the right corner of the New York end. The Penguins' goaltender took off his mask and charged down the ice, leaving DiPietro no honorable recourse but to skate out to meet him.
Referee Rob Martell saw what was coming and met Johnson at the Islanders' blue line. Johnson, with a move injured teammate Sidney Crosby might bust, went right around Martell to meet up with DiPietro.
He then connected with a hard left to DiPietro's left cheek.
"He's got long arms," said DiPietro, who sported a welt from Johnson's haymaker.
The fighting goalies drew major penalties and game misconducts, so Johnson yielded to Marc-Andre Fleury for the closing seconds, meaning he was not credited with the shutout. Instead, he was an instant folk hero in his locker room.
"Wow. That was amazing," said forward Max Talbot. "If nobody knew he was a lefty, I think everybody knows now. It's something you don't see happen often, but he deked the ref and threw a bomb.
"It's something that gives a team a lot of energy, and it's something that's fun to see."
Up until Johnson swung, Talbot had been in line for some sort of hero status. He sat on 98 career points before getting an assist a night earlier against the New York Rangers and had played a strong game against the Islanders, continuing his recent trend.
First Published February 3, 2011 12:00 am
