What the hell is a leg death grip???
I really don't care who wins, I like Subban, I like Crosby so I have no bias. Sid is sitting on Subban, Subban is holding onto Sid. Thats not a face wash and sure as hell not a death grip on his leg, again whatever that is... my point is if thats Sid on the bottom of the pile Ryan is writing a blog about how dirty Subban is and the contact to Sids head deserves a suspension. Its all relative depending on what side of the fan fence you sit in...
"Elite" players get more latitude, right wrong or indifferent...
- geta02it

Thanks, bye.

First off he would need to actually try to free himself before any conversation about freeing himself can occur. This is ridiculous. Crosby was making no attempt to get away. He was looking up and around the ice as he continued to introduce Subban's helmet to the ice. Not once does he struggle to free himself.

I don't have a dog in this fight. Crosby is what he is and dishes out what he receives, same with Subban. It's hockey, and in no way am I arguing for supplemental discipline or any of that crap. But it is ridiculous to sit here and say that Crosby couldn't free himself when he wasn't even trying to free himself.
- uf1910

I would argue that shoving someone's head into the ice is an effort to get them to let go of your leg so you can get up. The only other tactic would be to kick with his free leg, which seems worse. Dropping his stick gives him no leverage to try to get up. I don't know what type of attempt you're looking for, other than what he did. And F Subban, I'm thrilled it was him. This was way less egregious than what Sissons did to Maatta - but no talk of that.

Paul, one of the best you have written

you couldn't see it in on tv but crosby was actually brushing PK's teeth.

Thanks, bye.
- jmatchett383

Very cerebral response...
From the Flyers fan on the Preds blog...
Again leg death grip?

I would argue that shoving someone's head into the ice is an effort to get them to let go of your leg so you can get up. The only other tactic would be to kick with his free leg, which seems worse. Dropping his stick gives him no leverage to try to get up. I don't know what type of attempt you're looking for, other than what he did. And F Subban, I'm thrilled it was him. This was way less egregious than what Sissons did to Maatta - but no talk of that.
- mw630

True though he did get suspended. (deservedly so)

I would argue that shoving someone's head into the ice is an effort to get them to let go of your leg so you can get up. The only other tactic would be to kick with his free leg, which seems worse. Dropping his stick gives him no leverage to try to get up. I don't know what type of attempt you're looking for, other than what he did. And F Subban, I'm thrilled it was him. This was way egregious than what Sissons did to Maatta - but no talk of that.
- mw630

Getting Subban to let go is not the same as attempting to free himself. Semantics I guess but still true nonetheless.

As for the 2nd bold, actually dropping his stick would give him leverage as then he would have a free hand, or both, to try and leverage himself free.

This really isn't difficult. Crosby didn't try to free himself so how can we have a conversation about how he couldn't free himself? It's really that (frank)ing simple of an equation.

I'm not comparing this to anything else or any other hit/dirty play etc. Again it was a damn hockey play and again I'm not arguing for discipline etc. Merely calling the play as it was, not how you want it to be.

Paul McCann: Why must Crosby be media protected?
- pmccann

Crosby whines and cries so much, I am surprised he does not have his own Pampers endorsement and commercial.

Great player, even greater whiner.

True though he did get suspended. (deservedly so)
- geta02it

Nope, he didn't.

Crosby receives a ton of abuse, but also gets in his share of dirty shots. Don't like him going after anotger guys head with his injury history. How you feel about whether it can be justified might depend on if you believe Subban was trying to injure his ankle as Crosby claimed. If you do, what exactly can Crosby do there, just take it?

NHL officiating is terrible and actually encourages this style of play then brags about what warriors they are. It's so NHL that the ref is standing right there and pretending not to see anything. They are the real joke to me. They don't police the game at all and the cheap garbage keeps getting worse from everyone. Waiting for someone to get paralyzed or worse before they actually try to enforce the rules.

Crosby whines and cries so much, I am surprised he does not have his own Pampers endorsement and commercial.

Great player, even greater whiner.
- Mashadar

You win the most original, hilarious comment ever made. You could improve next time by referring to him as Cindy though.

funny no mention of Sissons cross check to the face of Maatta...but damn that dirty Crosby guy!

Nope, he didn't.
- mw630

I had a twitter feed that stated he got a game... I re-checked
I stand corrected and call BS.
Cheap, dirty... should have been suspended.

funny no mention of Sissons cross check to the face of Maatta...but damn that dirty Crosby guy!



- ReginaPEN15

Shhhh

I mean it does not really count as a penalty. When there is 30 seconds left in a game youre losing by 6 goals right. Just get a free pass on that one.

Crosby whines and cries so much, I am surprised he does not have his own Pampers endorsement and commercial.

Great player, even greater whiner.
- Mashadar

When has he whined in these playoffs? When did he whine in the last playoffs?

Oh my, the simpletons that flock this site...

Shhhh

I mean it does not really count as a penalty. When there is 30 seconds left in a game youre losing by 6 goals right. Just get a free pass on that one.
- Gerk

Looks like you got me there!

When has he whined in these playoffs? When did he whine in the last playoffs?

Oh my, the simpletons that flock this site...
- MattStrat

Lots of sour grapes on this site.

funny no mention of Sissons cross check to the face of Maatta...but damn that dirty Crosby guy!



- ReginaPEN15

Its Paul. He will harp on other teams players but not his own. He's probably still pissed he had the BJs winning against the Pens in round 1 and that didn't happen.

Funny how he neglects the role of Subban in holding Crosby down and holding his stick or other preds players delievering cross checks to crosby post-whistle

Pretty tough for the Preds to win when the top player on the other team gets to play with his own set of rules.

Good article. It's been an issue for far too long. The league is better when all players are treated the same. I will disagree with one thing. Lemieux also got a blind eye turned to his slashing and diving so Sid learned from the best. My question is it an issue with a player or is the ownership who has been vocal about his treatment to blame for the situation?

I am not even going to bother reading the vomments before i post.

First. PK had crosby in a hammerlock with his arms locked around his legs. So crosby wasnt getting up to go anywhere until PK let go. Plain and simple.

Second: why did you have to go there? Cmon Paul. Thats about as baf as those idiots creating the fangerrang stupid ass video. I would like to think you are better than this.

Third: time to move on and take care of game 6. Nothing is learned from the game last night.

Lastly. I expected to go down last night and play from behind but didnt expect a 60 minute drubbing. Thats what the champs laid down on us last night and kudos to them for it. That will not happen again though so i am glad it happened last night instaed of game 7. Go Preds.

Here's the ironic thing about this. Out of all the teams in the NHL, which teams do you think would benefit most by games being called really tightly? The highly skilled teams. Pittsburgh would no doubt benefit if the referees called everything down the middle by the rulebook. The narrative that the Pens are benefiting from dirty play is ludicrous. The Pens, and most of their fans would have no problem with the league calling everything by the rulebook because the Pens and 3 or 4 other teams that play a highly skilled game would benefit tremendously. But, the playing field has been consistently leveled by calling the rulebook loosely. The Penguins have to adapt to the way the game is being called. Start calling the rules as written and the Pens would have no problem with it.

Ratings. The same reason every nationally televised game in the States involves either Pittsburgh or Chicago. Follow the money, Paul.
- duxcup07

If that were true the Rangers would have had the helium filled ball in 2005 and would be front and center in every other cup. Biggest market = currently bad playoff team.

I respect most everything about Nashville and the Predator franchise with the exception of the homer, whiny public address announcer.

I'm sorry but Milbury was spot on correct.

PK is playing his game which is getting under the skin of the big guns and I'll bet he's out there yapping the entire time.

When i saw Crosby pin his head to the ice repeatedly, it made me laugh out loud. I loved every second of it and replayed it three times.

I would have done the exact same thing until the Referee's arm went up.


Loved.
- bcallaway

I finally agree with a Blue Fan. What's this world coming to?

funny no mention of Sissons cross check to the face of Maatta...but damn that dirty Crosby guy!



- ReginaPEN15

Edit - Your not correct, watch the replay - both players were jousting, Maata slips, sissons was looking away. A match penalty is correct at that point. Sissons should have been under control - but dirty - NOPE.

And Sid is dirty. So are many others. I see the real issue is GB's NHL allows far more in the playoffs letting the goonery run wild. Case in point the Ducks.

So how do you stand up in court with one hand on your favorite book and with a straight face testify that the NHL cares about player safety? If I had a dog in that hunt I would play Sid smacking Subans head against the ice multiple times and then ask the $6,400,000,000 question, was he suspended or discipline? That resounding no helps me to go Cha-Ching! For every one regular season thug move, there are 10 playoff moves that are not even penalties... Oh, and your talking heads say PK deserved it between periods - Cha-Ching Cha-Ching!