Hockey is a game of speed, of physicality and skill. It’s a contact sport, so there are rules to reduce injuries and encourage fair play. It’s my favorite sport to watch, and if I had any coordination whatsoever, I would play it, too.
What we saw last night was not hockey.
Sidney Crosby shoving P.K. Subban’s head into the ice over and over. Off-setting minors. #Preds pic.twitter.com/B7mUbDat1P
— Mark Harris (@TweetsByHarris) June 9, 2017
We know that the NHL doesn’t take head injuries seriously, but at the very least there should be an extra two there for roughing. Let’s be as generous as possible with Subban’s part of the play.
Sid plays drums on PK’s lid but suggest was next to impossible to break free of leg shackle PK had locked on! Multiple head bops =extra 2
— Kerry Fraser (@kfraserthecall) June 9, 2017
So the Pens should be down a man while Crosby heads to the locker room for four minutes, but instead we get this:
“THAT’S ALL F***ING YOU!”
-An enraged Peter Laviolette to Brad Meier after Malkin’s goal. pic.twitter.com/UYaD7SiAni
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) June 9, 2017
At this point it’s 3-0 and the Preds very much deserve to be trailing. But the shenanigans don’t stop.
Someone on the Penguins bench really wanted to share the H2O pic.twitter.com/MGjbKxe8LC
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) June 9, 2017
Sidney Crosby threw a bottle onto the ice during play (right before the 5-0 goal was scored). You cannot do that. Player or coach, accidentally on purpose, that’s two minutes for delay of game.
Bench minor penalty warranted to Penguins for throwing article on ice. Makes no difference who throws it off bench; player, coach,trainer!
— Kerry Fraser (@kfraserthecall) June 9, 2017
So those are two goals scored against while the Penguins should be shorthanded.
But whatever. We’ve already established that the Predators were playing like hot garbage and undoubtedly would have continued to fail to connect on passes during whatever powerplays they were awarded.
The Forsberg got two for playing for Nashville, I guess.
And the Preds wound up shorthanded out of this:
But at least we got to see Arvy’s first NHL fight.
Some solace. Love you Arvy pic.twitter.com/mbCKP73EZa
— Jerry Brannon (@jerrybrannon) June 9, 2017
The moral of this gif fest is that rules in hockey exist for a reason. Call penalties as they occur or stick to some sort of reasonable standard or you wind up with crap like Evgeni Malkin tackling Roman Josi to the ice, whose only crime is being really handsome, and coming out with a powerplay.
And it’s not over.
Sissons assessed a match penalty at the end. Faces league review. No intent to injure whatsoever. pic.twitter.com/EEpBPMVHyS
— Seth Lake (@SLakePreds) June 9, 2017
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