Claude Giroux and Sidney Crosby do not like each other. (Bruce Bennet/Getty)
With the first round of the playoffs providing exciting hockey and tons of drama already, here are some quick thoughts: ( Check back for updates)
–In the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, captain Sidney Crosby was front in center of many of the scrums. Crosby, obviously frustrated with his team being down 3-0 in this fight-filled, high-scoring series, sucker punched the Flyers’ star center Claude Giroux. Crosby, who went after Kimmo Timonen, was confronted by Giroux as the two locked up and appeared ready to fight. The two tussled with neither being able to land any punches until the refs stepped in. With the refs in the middle, and Giroux hunched over trying to get at Crosby, Crosby landed an uppercut knowing full well Giroux was vulnerable with the refs in the way and knew the refs would protect him from retaliation since the fight was separated. And this is the “face of the NHL” that Gary Bettman and Co. shove down our throats?
- OK, so let me get this straight. New York Rangers rookie Carl Hagelin gets a three-game suspension for his elbow to Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson in Game 2 of that Eastern Conference series, yet the Nashville Predators’ Shea Weber gets just a $2,500 fine for slamming Detroit Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the boards twice WWE-style? What a joke.
See for yourself which is worse:
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- Mike Richards was in straight-beast mode for the Los Angeles Kings in the Game 1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Richards scored a goal and landed a huge hit at the end of the game with the Canucks pressing for the tying goal.
-Speaking of the Los Angeles, Kings captain Dustin Brown has been on a dominating with four goals in the first three games to put his team , the eighth seed, up 3-0 over the No. 1 seed Canucks. The gritty American forward has also set the tone physically. Watch his huge hit on Canucks star Henrik Sedin from Sunday’s 1-0 win, which Brown also tallied the lone goal.
