Despite originally being given an instigator penalty, which would have resulted in a Game 3 suspension, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will be able to play on Tuesday because the NHL has rescinded the penalty.
I don't think it's fair to qualify Malkin's late game fight with Henrik Zetterberg as message sending, which is what the rule was designed to stop.
I'm sure that NHL vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell will talk to both teams about stopping the late game incidents going forward.
The league also admitted that they made a mistake. If you see the end of the Malkin-Zetterberg confrontation, both players lose their sweaters, which by rule of law would mean an automatic game misconduct because their jersey tie-downs weren't properly attached.
Either way, Malkin should be good to go in Game 3.
- - Osgood Is Better - -
Marc-Andre Fleury has been very good for the Penguins, but the harsh reality is that Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood has been near spectacular.
If it's a glass half-empty scenario for Pittsburgh, they've seen two glorious chances for Malkin in Games 1 and 2 that Osgood stopped.
In the second period of Game 2, Malkin had a great point-blank scoring opportunity, but Osgood was in perfect position to make the save.
In Game 1, Malkin had a breakaway opportunity that Osgood stopped.
Conversely, Fleury let in a weak goal to Justin Abdelkader on Sunday, a goal that Fleury admitted he wanted back after the game, but if you look back to Game 1, right off the hop the Wings got a break when Brad Stuart fired a puck off the end boards, which led to a miscue by Fleury and the early Red Wings goal.
Fleury has been good, only allowing six goals in the first two games, but the bottom line is that Osgood has been much better.