Quote:
Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce
Iffy call? Intent is not required.
It's a simple yes or no.
Did he crosscheck Crosby in the head? Yes
Did it result in injury? Yes
= 5 minutes.
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It was iffy because Crosby was falling over and ran into an unsuspecting Niskanen. You could make the argument it was an accidental collision where Crosby unfortunately ran into Niskanen's stick and there should be no penalty. It wasn't a play where he lifted his stick and slammed it into Crosby's head.
I have no problem with the 5 and a game because players should be in control of their stick, however it was not an intent to injure and there shouldn't be a suspension.
Also, I'll add that the ref missed the high stick from Ovechkin right before that and Pittsburgh should have had a 2 man advantage.