Activist referees and poor discipline dooms the Penguins

The refs set the bar from the very first shift of the game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. They sent David Perron and Kyle Quincey to the penalty box just 33 seconds into the game for 2-minute misconducts for going after each other behind the play.

Refs keeping the standard consistent is usually a good thing. Not today. (Or, maybe the Penguins just didn't properly adjust to how the game was being called).

The Pens put themselves way behind the proverbial 8-ball with penalties all game. Steve Downie got a 10 minute misconduct for a post-whistle scrum. Chris Kunitz got a 10 minute misconduct for shooting the puck away from the ref. Kris Letang got a 10 minute misconduct and then a game misconduct for mouthing off at the refs.

Letang got to let out his frustration in a funny way, at least.

Letang's reaction to getting kicked out of the game pic.twitter.com/YvsYmRY464

— Marc Dumont (@Dr_Habs) March 15, 2015

The Pens couldn't solve Petr Mrazek when the game was competitive save one time when Christian Ehrhoff scored a goal that got waived off for the official reason that Mrazek wasn't able to play his position...Even though it was 3 Detroit players in the crease that really crowded him. Still, Patric Hornqvist might have made a hand-pass so the refs might have even made the right call, despite a wrong reason.

And, that wasn't the difference in the game anyways. The Pens paraded to the penalty box, frustrated and annoyed with the refs, who were only too eager to send them on. Best thing about this game is that it's over.