Why Timonen, Letang got game misconducts
The Flyers-Penguins series finally displayed the snarl everyone expected in the first period of Game 3, when the teams combined for 72 penalty minutes. The biggest series of altercations came with 12:02 gone in the period. The craziest thing was not how Sidney Crosby started the whole thing -- first by banging away at goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov's glove after he made a save, and then later by knocking away Jakub Voracek's glove as Voracek was bending over to pick it up -- and still left the Flyers with a man disadvantage after all of the calculations were made.
The Flyers-Penguins series finally displayed the snarl everyone expected in the first period of Game 3, when the teams combined for 72 penalty minutes. The biggest series of altercations came with 12:02 gone in the period. The craziest thing was not how Sidney Crosby started the whole thing -- first by banging away at goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov's glove after he made a save, and then later by knocking away Jakub Voracek's glove as Voracek was bending over to pick it up -- and still left the Flyers with a man disadvantage after all of the calculations were made.
No, the craziest thing was the sight -- after an initial fight started between Crosby and Claude Giroux -- of Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen getting pummeled by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, and then both of them being kicked out with game misconducts.
Why?
As it turns it, it's automatic.
According to NHL Rule 46.7: "Fighting After the Original Altercation - A game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who is assessed a major penalty for fighting after the original altercation has started."
- Rich Hofmann