Having missed most of two seasons during the early years of his career, about a decade ago, due to chronic concussion problems, Sidney Crosby has no problems with security.
Of the 893 players who have prepared for at least one NHL game this season, there is probably no greater advocate for protecting the well-being of people who step on the ice than Crosby.
And even though he is generally soft-spoken, none of the other 892 has a louder voice when it comes to league matters.
On Tuesday, after his team’s 2-1 home loss to Boston Bruins, Crosby cleared his throat.
Expressing confusion, the Penguins captain called for more clarity from the NHL after an important second-term boarding against teammate Brandon Tanev.
At 12:57 in midfield, Tanev played defender Jarred Tinordi from Bruins against the visiting bench’s plates. After throwing a disc in the Penguin area, Tinordi fell awkwardly and stayed on the ice for several moments before retreating to the locker room with help. His undisclosed injury was labeled “not very good” by Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy.
In addition to the main penalty, Tanev, who scored the Penguins’ only goal on Tuesday, was accused of misconduct. A video review of the sequence confirmed the officials’ decision.
Crosby offered a measured assessment of the specific game, as well as the league’s general approach to regulating such strikes.
“I don’t think he had any intention there,” said Crosby via videoconference. “I hope Tinordi is doing well. He came in very strange. But I don’t think there was any intention. I thought he hit him cleanly. He got it right on time, because the record was there. (Tinordi) came in awkwardly, so you never like to see it. But I didn’t think it would justify five minutes (major penalty).
“The (referees) are out there, trying to protect us and keep us safe. I understand. I can see them trying to do that. But I didn’t see it that way. Unfortunately, we had to go down. We have a big (penalty) death there. I hope he’s all right. ”
Crosby continued.
“I hope, as players, we will get some clarity about what is a good hit and what is not,” said Crosby. “It is difficult to assess when you are out there. I know it is fast, but now it is very difficult to know what is clean and what is not. And when you are playing, it is important that you know this. ”
Whether Crosby’s words have any bearing on the NHL hierarchy is a matter of speculation. But few, if any, of his peers are more influential in the league’s overall business than Crosby.
As for the Penguins’ business, he went through a rough patch on Tuesday, as his other franchise center, Evgeni Malkin, left the game in the first period after a previous collision with Tinordi.
While Malkin tried to throw a puck from the right corner of the offensive zone, he was flattened on a Tinordi shoulder check. During the process, his right knees seemed to collide. Coach Mike Sullivan did not report on Malkin’s condition after the game.
In addition, third-row center Teddy Blueger was streaked by an undisclosed injury that Sullivan described as “long-term”. Blueger entered the competition with the longest active streak of consecutive games in the team, played in 116.
His absences, along with the expulsion of Tanev, left the Penguins at fault for most of the game. Despite this, they offered a great deal of effort against a strong opponent.
After the Bruins took the lead in a power-play goal from striker David Pastrnak, his 13th of the season, at 3:20 pm, the Penguins responded at 3:22 pm when Tanev recovered a rebound for his seventh goal .
After a second goalless period, Bruins took the lead at 7:07 from the third, when striker Trent Frederic scored his fourth goal in a high-profile armored wrister.
Despite having their best streak of six wins in the extended season, the Penguins seemed optimistic about how they played.
“There were a lot of adversities, a lot of things happened,” said goalkeeper Casey DeSmith, who made 31 saves in 33 shots. “Losing some guys and stuff. Everyone knows that we play a lot and everyone is positive. We’ve been in such a good race, we won’t let it affect us. ”
While the Penguins expressed optimism despite the setback, Crosby conveyed his continuing confusion – and perhaps to others around the league – in very clear terms about NHL management.
He did not go so far as to call the NHL a “garage league” like its owner, Mario Lemieux, once did in 1992. But Crosby did not mask his frustrations.
“If they are going to be wrong for protecting us, I don’t think I’ll ever discuss it as a player,” said Crosby. – Especially with Tinordi getting hurt and watching him come awkwardly. I understand. Just understand that. You see some hits throughout the championship, especially in the first half of the season here, it is difficult as a player to know. We look at a hit and think, ‘Oh, this is a suspension,’ and it is not. Or we think it’s a penalty and it’s not. Then you see a hit like (by Tanev), you don’t expect a five-minute major and it ends up being one.
“I think it looks a little gray now.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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