B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

They tried to put pressure on Marc-Andre," Michel Therrien said. "They tried to get in the crease, and we discussed it with the referees. They're not supposed to stand there, and if there's a goal, it's not a goal. It's tough to give penalties if they're really close to the crease, but if Fleury's in the crease and he can't play the puck, it's no goal. This is what the referees told us. I noticed what Shanahan did. I addressed it with the referees. They were saying that they were going to pay attention, there's no doubt, you can't obstruct the goalies."

When Tom Renney says that he will address various concerns with the officials, without any specific references as to what those concerns are, he's whining to the refs about diving, and Therrien goes on an extended rant trashing Renney. Therrien himself can go on and on about talking to the refs about the Rangers crashing the crease, but that's not whining, that's a legitimate concern. God forbid he should tell his players to get those players out of there, god forbid he should tell him players to do so without taking a penalty cross-checking a player into his goalie, god forbid he should voice any concern about his goalie slashing players near his crease. No, the Penguins don't whine -- only the Rangers.

Pens set for antics of Sean Avery
BY KRISTIE ACKERT
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, April 28th 2008, 11:15 PM

Petr Sykora and the Penguins have gotten just a glimpse of the Sean Avery who was the talk of the Rangers' first-round series. Tuesday, when they enter the Garden with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal, they expect to see a lot more.

"Avery will be Avery," Sykora said Monday. "I expect he will pick up the intensity with the home crowd behind him."

The Penguins expect that Avery and the Rangers will do anything and everything they can to get back into the series.

Pegged as a talented but youthful and emotional team, the Penguins know the series could hinge on how they handle the pressure tonight. They have been unable to win at the Garden in four tries this season, and they'll be facing a team with an expert agitator looking for anything to change the momentum.

Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said the Penguins will focus on Avery just as they would "any other good player.

"Honestly, I don't pay too much attention to that stuff," Therrien said at the team's midtown hotel. "He's a good player. I expect him to play a hard game. I expect it to be a hard-played game."

Perhaps the last seconds of Sunday's game foreshadowed just how hard.

After the Penguins scored an empty-netter, Avery planted himself in front of Marc-Andre Fleury's crease, clearly irritating the Penguins' goalie, who gave the Rangers' winger a shot to the back of his legs after the final horn. Avery slashed back at Fleury's hands, sparking a fight at the end of the Penguins' 2-0 win.

"We have to be disciplined," said Sykora. "Whatever he does or doesn't do, we have to be disciplined and don't do anything that will get us stupid penalties. That's the most important thing, being disciplined."

The Penguins were effective fighting off those penalties Sunday, playing four of the last six minutes shorthanded. They killed off six penalties in that game.

After ranking 23rd in penalty-killing during the season, the Penguins are second in the playoffs, allowing just two power-play goals in six games.

Avery's antics against the Devils overshadowed the fact he scored three goals and had two assists in that series.

"I think he is a very good hockey player," Sykora said. "I think he could have an even bigger name with his offense, he has a lot of skills. But he has made his name doing what he does. He's a good player."