Okay, I get it, Sidney Crosby is the NHL’s golden boy. He’s the most recognizable player in the league and probably the only current “household” name. But, does that mean he just gets a license to do whatever the hell he wants? The fact that he was bouncing P.K. Subban‘s head off the ice last night, like he was dribbling a basketball, is disgraceful. But, the fact that a ref was standing 2 feet away, just letting it happen, is borderline criminal. Do your job, Brad Meier. Do your god damn job. With all of the concussions issues we have this day in age, you would think that smashing a guys head off the ice 10 times would be frowned upon or at least warrant a whistle. Instead, Sidney Crosby and Subban end up with MATCHING penalties for holding. HOLDING? How about assault and battery?
I get it. The NHL thinks they “need” Crosby. They put him on a pedestal and that translates down, to all levels. So, the refs are naturally going to give him more leniency. But, stuff like this degrades the game of hockey and send a really negative message.
Did I mention that Sidney Crosby was also let go for throwing a plastic water bottle? No penalty there either.
ESPN.com: “Nashville Predators coach Peter Laviolette said he was perplexed by the officials’ decision in the first period of Game 5 on Thursday night, when Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby repeatedly slammed the head of Predators counterpart P.K. Subban into the ice during a scrum behind Pittsburgh’s net.
Crosby and Subban both got matching minor penalties for holding.
“I don’t understand it,” Laviolette said after Pittsburgh’s 6-0 win. “I really don’t understand the call.
“I saw my guy get his head crosschecked into the ice 10 times. I don’t even know what he did, P.K. I disagree with the call.”
Referee Brad Meier was right over both players watching the scrum unfold.
When asked if it’s getting personal between him and Crosby, Subban said, “It’s hockey, man.”
But, now it looks like the Preds could be without Colton Sissons for Sunday’s Game 6, after he cross-checked Olli Maatta with 34 seconds remaining. He was ejected and the NHL rules state that he could be automatically suspended, pending a league review of the incident. For that penalty to be inforced, it requires that the player showed “deliberate intent” to “injure” the opposing player. In this incident, Maatta and Sissons were exchanging shoves in front of the Pens’ net, when Matta slipped and feel forward into Sissions swipe. That blow ended up landing on Maatta’s nose and drew blood, but I don’t think Sissions had the intent to injure Maatta.