Penguins
Molinari: Want to Take a Whack at Crosby’s Head? Get in Line
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan routinely refers to Sidney Crosby as a generational talent while speaking with reporters.
The next time someone disagrees will be the first.
Good luck arguing with three Stanley Cups, two Olympics gold medals and so many individual awards and honors that Crosby probably had to put an addition on his house to store them all.
NHL executives know all of that. There’s a reason Crosby has figured prominently in so many league promotions since he was a rookie in 2005.
The league has had absolutely no qualms about exploiting his talents and popularity when it believes he can help to generate revenue for it.
That’s when the NHL sees him as a generational talent.
The rest of the time, it apparently thinks he makes a swell pinata.
How else to explain why Washington’s David Steckel didn’t receive so much as a minor penalty, let alone a meaningful fine or suspension, when he blindsided Crosby with a hit to the head as the second period of the 2011 Winter Classic was winding down?
That hit concussed Crosby and easily could have ended his career. As it was, it simply prevented him from playing for the better part of a year.
That would make for a heck of a marketing campaign, wouldn’t it? Come watch the world’s best hockey player sit in a darkened room while avoiding any unnecessary movements.
Riveting.
And if anyone somehow harbored a belief that the league might have had misgivings about the way the Steckel hit was (not) handled, they surely have been disabused of that notion over the past day.
When Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba targeted Crosby’s head with an elbow during the second period of New York’s 5-3 victory in Game 3 and didn’t get so much as a dirty look from referees Wes McCauley and Garrett Rank, the idea that it is still open season on Crosby was confirmed.
And the league might as well have issued a press release reinforcing the point Thursday, when the oxymoron that is the Department of Player Safety didn’t see fit to have Trouba explain his action in a hearing, let alone be assessed a suspension or one of those laughable “maximum amount allowed under the CBA” fines that barely constitute pocket change for players in today’s NHL.
Trouba obviously is the culprit here, but he made it clear 24 seconds into Game 5 that he has zero respect for opponents or for the game when he was caught delivering an elbow to Jake Guentzel, who just happens to be another of the Penguins’ most effective players in this series.
Detecting a pattern yet?
It’s completely understandable that the Penguins would seek vengeance for Crosby in Game 6 Friday, doing something nefarious to knock an impact player like Adam Fox or Artemi Panarin out of the series. (Why waste energy going after a middle-pairing defenseman like Trouba, unless it’s to prevent future assaults?)
That would be ill-conceived, at best. One never knows when an NHL referee is going to do something completely unexpected — like, you know, enforcing the rules as they’re written — and the Penguins don’t want to give New York’s power play more opportunities than are absolutely necessary.
Especially if it turns out that Trouba’s elbow knocked the Penguins’ best player — that generational talent mentioned earlier — out of more than part of the second period and all of the third in Game 5.
The best way to avenge Sidney Crosby would be to win Game 6 — a genuinely daunting challenge, under the circumstances — and let the Rangers spend the weekend packing their belongings for an early offseason.
And if some Penguins player would be inclined to let Trouba know in the post-season handshake line exactly how the team feels about his classless, despicable attack, well, nothing wrong with that. In fact, perhaps all of them could skate right past him without extending their hand.
Of course, in a real league, Trouba wouldn’t be around for a handshake line, no matter when the series ends or which team wins it.
If the NHL actually cared about protecting its players, let alone its most accomplished ones, Trouba would be in street clothes until the next round. Or next season.
Boy, talk about a hypothetical.
It doesn’t matter that most leagues try to protect their most gifted players, and to create circumstances that allow them to perform to the best of their exceptional abilities.
Not when the only thing the NHL seems intent on proving is that the greatness of hockey is best illustrated by the game’s ability to survive the people who oversee it.
It’s been that way for generations.
Boyle, Hurt in Game 6, Has Knee Surgery
Molinari: Reflections On Series That Got Away From Penguins
Jarry Had All the Guts and Almost the Glory in Game 7
PHN Postgame: Penguins Outplayed Rangers, Loss Invites Big Changes
Penguins Report Card: ‘We Deserved Better,’ End of Era Looms After Game 7 Loss
Molinari: Want to Take a Whack at Crosby’s Head? Get in Line
Hot Garbage: Officials Fail Game; Rangers Rally After Dirty Hit Injures Crosby
Trouba Gets Away With Crosby Hit?? Player Safety Will Not Punish
BREAKING: Crosby on the Ice for Practice; Jarry, Rakell, too; All Day to Day
Interesting to hear the moaning and groaning of commentators and fans of this hit. Where was the outrage when the cheap shot was put on the Ranger goalie in Game 2?
Maybe because the goalie laid there as if half dead for a long time only to get up perfectly fine and did not leave the game with any injury.
Yep. He played possum cause he knew he actually instigated the contact. It is an old trick across sports and sadly the refs usually bite! Igor Sure-Is-Taken lots of time eFF-en Faken–I can almost hear the crowd chanting as the Rangers get eliminated.
I’m pretty sure the Rangers were crying last year when Tom Wilson rag dolled Panarin, no?
Amen, Rangers was a soft team. Went out and changed the chemistry. But a cheap shot is a cheap shot.
Shesterkin kicked at Carter 🤣🤣🤣. I love Ignore as a goalie. I love his attitude too… It’s fun. But, he totally did that.
Excellent article, Dave. #GarageLeague
yes, Mark…..
Good read.
Great read as usual Dave. Maybe all the NHL’s stars should band together and demand a meeting with Bettman and the The Players Safety. All the complaints seem to come from the fans and other areas.
Yeah, Sid’s going to be fine. But, I see it happening to McDavid and Leon up in Edmonton, Matthews, Stamkos, Josi this season, MacKinnon, the Ducks kids, Barzal, and the other to skilled guys. It’s disgusting.
Why should there be a different standard between superstar and journeyman when it comes to player safety? Maybe Sid shouldn’t be carrying that puck through center in the second period of an elimination game up 2-0 against a desperate club down 3-1 in the series? Him thinking he’s untouchable might be why. That’s not a chance you want him taking. Maybe he should play it safe and dump it in. He also has to protect himself. Desperate or not, you won’t see Zibanejad doing that.
Dave wonderful article however the Pens have no one to play hard against. Kunitz, Cole, these guys were tough & everyone kept their head on a swivel, not one current player has that reputation. Sully won’t play those types of players unless their also fast. Sid never had protection which is a franchise failure as well.
This doesn’t make any sense… what you’re really asking for is someone to elbow New York’s star players in the head. Having a goon punch another goon isn’t keeping people’s heads on a swivel… it doesn’t take a goon to elbow someone in the head… any player can do it… especially when their coach calls them SOFT. Code for “take them out”. Heck… Dominic Simon could elbow people in the head if that’s what you wanted… no “tough guy” needed. #TroubaSOFT
Code for “take them out”. Thats a ridiculous over emotional statement. Code for play harder…perhaps
Dave, I’d argue that this team has a ton more grit than people think. Carter, Boyle, Blueger, Matheson, Tanger, Friedman, Zucker…this team is out hitting and playing more physical than the Rangers. Hell, even Jake and Rust are hard nosed. I almost forgot about Rakell always playing heavy and ERod.
I think the argument used to be valid. But, not this season at all.
Yes Very good Article! What do you expect from a team who is being outclassed and can’t win on talent alone so they turn to this ignorance. Since their classless unrefined fans like to yell the word A-Hole a lot that is the perfect word that should be directed at this Rangers team and those who did nothing as far as the referee or the league about this!
Typical one sided biased article guess objectively doesn’t exist in Pittsburgh its beyond comical how you all think your team is a bunch of Saints. Where’s the article about Malkin trying to take Rooneys head off with his stick or because Rooneys not a superstar it don’t matter. You can say Trouba hit was intentional but it’s not a 100% factual Malkin on the other uses stick aa weapon purposely and not the first time he’s lost his temper like a spoiled child.
Most Pens fans would agree that Malkin is an undisciplined player and that his cross check was unwarranted.
I’d hope so I’m just annoyed when one fanbase labels all of another fansbase as bad or whatever words you wanna substitute. There’s morons in every fanbase that just wanna troll or cause trouble but there are also alot of hockey fans who support there teams and have respect for the opposition fans as well.
It’s more that crosby has a history of concussions and was hit in the head when he wasn’t expecting it. the cross check malkin delivered was after he was shoved and was facing the other player. Trouba also punched guentzel in the back of the head when he wasn’t looking. Not to mention the headshot on Rickell in game one. The rangers have shown in this series that they have no regard for the welfare of other players. Malkin also got cross checked in the back of the head and somehow the penguins got two minor penalties to the rangers… Read more »
Finally. I thought I was hallucinating because I also saw Malki being cross checked to the back of the head by Lindgren.
In the last 24 hours I have yet to fins one in multiple commentaries. Not one.
So you’re saying Pens fans never did that? Try watching some games. Talk about classless, every time the Pens are losing they start with all the cheap shots and causing problems at whistles and at the end of the game. I’m wrong? Go watch the games again right back to the regular season. Typical Shitsburg fan.
I did and you are wrong. You just have to watch the rangers crybaby coach to see how the player act. and listen to the ranger fans whine. if a puck goes to their end of the ice they want icing, if a player of theirs gets hit they want a penalty. learn hockey.
And you wonder why soccer just past hockey in American Sports Popularity. Just review the NHL DoS and see what actions throughout the course of the season warranted suspension and or fines. It is truly sad, egregious and despicable what Parros has done not only to this particular situation but to other NHL’rs, Owners and Fans. George Parros, you are a joke.
Give him some kind of break! He got so beat up so badly in losing all those fights. Was a punching bag , probably can’t spell his name
Is this an Onion article?
I have decided to name my dog as head of The Department of Unattended Hot Dogs Safety. Seems about as wise as giving George Parros the job he has.
Well written my friend. Using Did’s head as a piñata is another Molinarism.
Right on the money. Great read!
Sorry, in 49 states and half of another Truba’s hit was clean. I have seen much worse in this series go uncalled. This has been a physical series and hockey is a physical game. Crosby has given and taken worse.
If this hit happened to a Ranger, the crying would be immense. I could only imagine the NY Post stories.
Remember when the Rangers GM threw a fit and got fined when #43 mopped the ice with Panarin last year?
Pepperidge Farms remembers.
I watched Penguins destroy Rangers all over the ice games 3 & 4, lots of big and sometimes questionable hits.
I’m a Ranger fan, no issues with my team getting buried when they don’t push back (play soft).
Not playing soft does not mean playing dirty.
Pittsburgh fans should realize in playoffs guys who manage the puck need to keep their heads up or the damage will be possible.
We lost Lindgren due to questionable hits for two games, welcome to NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
GROW A SET OF TAKE UP BOWLING!
Amazing. Good thing Panarin got rag dolled during the regular season or the Rangers GM wouldn’t have been able to write that letter to the NHL.
The game doesn’t need headshots and concussions no matter if it’s regular season or playoffs. Rangers fans are proof that one can not acquire a new brain.
Killed it, Dave.
Many years ago Chris Nilan of the Bruins was treated badly, in his view, by an opponent. After the game Nilan was walking away from “the Gahden” and came upon the other team getting on their bus. The offender was standing there waiting. Nilan walked up to him and coldcocked him. Then, apparently, walked away without comment. Of course Sid wouldn’t do that, but one can dream!
Great article and it was the facts! Mario was right then and today the garage league still exists…..sad
Great article! I never understood why the league never protected its players. Look at someone like Tom Brady in the NFL the league protects him and so do the refs. Love it or hate it, it is what is best for the league. If your top players get knocked out. Who is going to watch a league where all the top players are always injured because of cheap shots from mediocre players?
well, aren’t we all still watching this s%#t-show?
I would pay to see Brady get knocked out.
Gives fresh meaning to “Neanderthals in Toronto.”
The NHL, as could every sport, put an end to dirty hits like this, by adding one simple rule. If your illegal action sidelines another player, you cannot return to play nor get paid until that player returns to the game.
I like that suggestion.
Watch tennis. It would be more your speed
Hahahaha. What a joke take. Canadian analysts are even saying that Crosby tried to avoid the hit and Trouba did nothing wrong.
No discipline after the fact either. This aint 2011 anymore. Get outta here with that garbage homer take bro. Btw I live an hour from Cole Harbor.
You need to get a grip
if you live an hour away from Cole Harbour, you ought to know how to spell it correctly
Moaning about Trouba is ridiculous. The refs gave you game one. Kakkos 3rd period goal was legit and it being disallowed set the tone for the series. Most analysts agree that should have been a good goal.
And most analysts agree that it should have been goalie interference. It’s hilarious that you complain about “moaning about Trouba” when your entire fanbase that didn’t know hockey was a thing until March has spent the last week whining about a non-goal call. I’m sorry 1994 was so long ago, but hopefully you were around to see it!
Obviously you have no idea about Ranger Nation, we don’t come out for winners we live the game.
Tell CINDY to keep his head up when he carries the puck or risk his 10 concussion.
Not CINDY’S first had down moment.
He was interfered with because he was pushed. 99 times out of 100 thats a good goal. Wayne Gretzky said he didn’t understand the call. But what does he know? If I was a Penguins fan I would simply say yeah bad call but we’ll take it. Judging by your silly response you will never see things remotely objectively. Troubas hit warranted a penalty thats it. and that didn’t even happen…as a Rangers fan…yup the refs missed that….we will take it. But intent to injure? Trouba does not play like that….he is hard on opponents…thats it. Deal with it.
most analysts in Pittsburgh
And how dare someone from Pittsburg hate on a hard hat guy like Trouba? Thought that’s what steel town was all about?
It’s OK to be neutral and still be a fan. Or a great writer…
Have a point in a way! You have a lot of Yinzers that are responding. During Mario’s Cup teams, Trouba would have been hammered! That team was bigger physically than this team!!!!! Look at rosters. Do you think Crosby would have been run with those players? Tocchet, Caufield, Jennings, Kevin Stevens, Loney, Tags, Ulf just to name a few. All those years ago and they was a lot bigger.
Get out of here crosby is as dirty as they come .that hit was 1.not illegal clear as day ctosby angled down trouba left arm reaching for the puck wzs not even hard how about malkin cross check to hunts face bunch of whiney hypocrite babies i hope you loose penguins suck from Edmonton fan
Crosby is as dirty as they come? What deluded world do you live in? BTW, learn how to write a complete sentence with proper punctuation. I can recommend a 5th grade reader if you need it.
Im not a fan of Crosby but I wouldn’t call him a dirty player either. He does embellish a lot, and has been known to dive. He also constantly prattles on to the refs everytime an opposing player brushes up against him.
Right. So he deserves to get hit in the head by a cheap shot.
He does if he is puck watching and his head is low. The price of doing business. Ive seen a more than a few plays when cheap shots were taken at rangers players. They had enough sense to keep their head up and nothing happened. Its hockey folks.
He’s from New York where women are being beat up in the streets everyday or thrown on subway tracks. They’re allowed to just kill cops and people. Watch the news! Everyday the women, old people brutalized and attacked. See anybody helping them? I’m shocked to Drive by on benches yet.
Hows letting your emotions getting the better of you working out? Silly Response
My head started to hurt trying to read this word salad.
I disagree with one thing, the name is CINDY not Sidney.
Very dirty especially with his stick.
Just a thanks for not blocking comments of ppl that disagree with you, like Blueshirts and other sites do. Unless you are a verified echo chamber sycophant you can’t comment on their sites. DPS has always been an oxymoron. Tom Wilson is a poster boy for this. Over the last 40 years I have gone from being a rabid hockey fan to a MEH if there is nothing else on and the weather sucks I might watch a game. Literally a fair weather fan. This is not a failing on my part it is an abject disgust of the product… Read more »
Guess you never played, can’t understand the passion, speed and result of impact unless you have please stick to tennis.
Go back and watch that game again the goalie stuck his leg out if I remember correctly. Plus this isn’t the first player this gut had given dirty hits to.
I’ve watched the replay again and again and it looks like a deliberate elbow to the head. Add to that Trouba’s deliberate elbow to Jake’s head to start the game and the conclusion is inescapable — elbows to the head were the plan.
This whole group on here just sounds like a bunch of jealous fans who’s teams haven’t won as much as the penguins and sid and just wants to spill out hidden hate for pittsburgh.
These people are from New York. Watch the news. Women, elderly, children brutalized everyday on the streets. Cops allowed to be shot. It’s okay to injure people
Perhaps, since every single neutral/unaffiliated news outlet says it was not a dirty hit, it might be time to accept that you simply are incapable of looking at it objectively.
News? Boy the news is accurate! Just because the women on the View said it’s legal.
Dave if you keep your feelings bottled up like this you are going to end up with an ulcer. I couldn’t agree more. Plus the Rangers have a history of cheap shots against the Penguins, Graves and Lemieux
Find me another writer, outside of Pittsburgh, with this view. Sid tried to sidestep and got caught. Sure, at that point Trouba’s arms are up, and if you want to call him for 2 minutes, I guess you could but the idea this was blatant, stop.
Succinct and perfect
This was not a dirty hit- Hear me out. Watch the video. Trouba had his head down focusing on the puck. he poke checked and hit Crosby’s skate. Maybe a tripping penalty? That caused Crosby to lean forward, Trouba was also off balance and the collision happened. If he targeted Crosby, Trouba’s head would have been up and focused on the hit, not the puck. Trouba has had may hits of the other type in which his purpose was to clean someone’s clock – this was not one of those. If it was, when Crosby looked down at the puck… Read more »
And everyone should buy a electric car. Gas prices going up is okay? Economy is in great shape? Borders are secure.
Irish Hammerheadless….this forum is about hockey. You seem to talk about everything else that isn’t related. Jus’ Sayin’
If he was targeting, he wouldn’t have gone for the puck. Trouba’s open ice hits can be devastating. He’s no Adam Fox or K’Andre Miller, that’s for sure. Sidney is big, but he doesn’t have a good chance of getting right back up and taking 2 more shifts if Trouba really got after him. Awkward hit, not clean, not dirty.
This was a collision of 2 players playing a puck right in front of the net. Injuries happen and unfortunately for him he has head problems long before this. For you or your partner to come out and say, Trouba intentionally went for his head and tried to hurt him is just absurd. If he was on the boards without seeing Trouba coming and came and crushed him with an elbow, then I think that would be acceptable to think he was trying to hurt him. So let’s talk dirty, so these are without question purposely done. Shesterkin being run… Read more »
Ray Ferraro had no problem with the hit, and I’m sure he had a better view than you did. So you come out and say he lied? That’s pretty bold of you, again someone who disagrees with you is wrong. I guess you disagree with everyone who isn’t a Pens fan because no one else seems to agree with you except your, staff and Pens fans. If I was Ray I’d be sure to let you know what I think. Looking at this through Penguin goggles isn’t the way to go.
Actually, Dave and I sat almost directly in front of Ray.
Seriously, when Ferraro played the Penguins beat his teams up. Look back couple years, Ferraro hates Lemieux and Crosby! Does Ferraro still live in New York? He used to.
WELL SAID!!!Great article! LETS GO PENS!!!!
Crosby was so bent over that had he been hit with the hip, he would have taken it to the head. He needs to keep his head up and his fans need to get theirs out of a certain body cavity.
Boy do I love all the Pens fans with their Rose Colored Glasses on. Crosby slashes away and gets nothing. I guess you guys forgot about his hit on Martin Fehervary Much more blatant than Trouba whose stick hand gets caught. If he was trying to blast him he would have used his non stick hand.
Watch the replay – Rangers player did not target the head w elbow. Led w stick to stick – broken play.
Try it for yourself- How much force do you have moving your elbow when your hand is perpendicular to your elbow ?
Nailed it, Dave. The NHL has been the most poorly run of the major sports leagues for years now, and obviously won’t ever change.
If I were sid I would give very serious thought of retirement. If they nhl doesn’t protect its biggest cash cow in the salary cap area why put yourself out there. He can work on network TV or he could live peacefully anywhere in the world and not work another day in his life. If he was good with his money. F… the nhl
Sure a Pittsburgh writer who probably never played or coached the game would employ his homer instincts to bash Trouba and NHL. My view, based on over 63 years watching playing and coaching is Crosby was victim of a good hit, dead center of Crosby’s chest. Crosby had his head down. And when Crosby tried to spin out of the hit the elbow hit Crosby in the face. Should have been two minutes but these type of continuation hits often get missed. And yes everyone wants to hit Crosby in the head, he is an agitator, use his stick to… Read more »
Presitgious Pittsburgh writer in the Hall of Fame…
So you can write big deal. Have you played or coached? How many college players have you coached, how many who made the show. As matter of fact how many games have you watched where Pittsburgh wasn’t involved?
Played over 20 years, coached 25+ and saw my first game in 1959.
Writing isn’t a prerequisite for understanding NHL STANLEY CUP HOCKEY.
Don’t worry. I don’t watch hockey at all. I write what Twitter says.
When a team dresses 7 defenseman, the intent is obvious. They are going headhunters. If a defenseman gets a game misconduct, then they still have a 6 man rotation intact. I thought it was obvious the Rangers would be headhunters from the start. They would need to knock out Crosby, Guetzel, or both to have any chance to win 3 games in a row. And now here we are. The league will never change.
So much pearl clutching here–Trouba did not target Sid’s head, wasn’t even close to a dirty play. Get over yourself already…
I’ve never heard so much complaining about a poke check. Y’all are hilarious.
Torts was right you guys are a bunch of cry babies. Go write for golf digest. Obviously you don’t know what a dirty hit is
Wah wah excuses excuses
Should have left Louie in goal lol