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Series thread: Pittsburgh vs Washington

https://twitter.com/NHLonNBCSports/status/857610550276116480
www.twitter.com/NHLonNBCSports/status/857610550276116480

Here we go!
 
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/858504603666722816
www.twitter.com/penguins/status/858504603666722816

Phil scored (twice). I like to think he was doing it for us and the kids at Sick Kids.

https://twitter.com/NHLpittPENS/status/858504504135868417
www.twitter.com/NHLpittPENS/status/858504504135868417
 
Seems like when the Capitals play Pittsburgh in these playoffs, they forget all semblance of sanity.  Can't believe Washington is so bad all of a sudden.  It's the playoffs, for heaven's sake, elevate your game!

On the other end, glad to see #87 & #81 do the on ice equivalent of dancing 'round the bend.  The Penguins play with fluidity and cleverness.
The Capitals play with zombie-like consistency.  Ouch!
 
https://streamable.com/5h57m

Niskanen got 5+game misconduct for this, but I think the culprit is largely Ovechkin for slashing Crosby twice (once in the helmet), and taking his left skate out from under him from behind. Nisaknen's follow through looks more unfortunately incidental.
 
Ovechkin slashes Crosby in the head and as he goes down he gets cross checked in the head by someone else and then he hits his head on the ice. This cannot be tolerated, I hope large suspension(s) are handed out. Their is no accoutability. No super star can survive is this environment. Gary needs to take back control.
 
herman said:
https://streamable.com/5h57m

Niskanen got 5+game misconduct for this, but I think the culprit is largely Ovechkin for slashing Crosby twice (once in the helmet), and taking his left skate out from under him from behind. Nisaknen's follow through looks more unfortunately incidental.

We'll have to wait to hear what Crosby's actual injury is. If it's a knee/leg injury then sure, Ovi's slash played a pretty large role in that. But a cross-check to the head is still unacceptable in any event. And if they announce Crosby has a concussion Niskanen is going to see a lengthy suspension I think. He could have definitely avoided that.
 
herman said:
https://streamable.com/5h57m

Niskanen got 5+game misconduct for this, but I think the culprit is largely Ovechkin for slashing Crosby twice (once in the helmet), and taking his left skate out from under him from behind. Nisaknen's follow through looks more unfortunately incidental.

Ovechkin taking out Crosby's skate out from under him is definitely the main culprit here. Without that, Niskanen's crosscheck is into the chest/arm - and probably doesn't even earn a call (playoff rules, of course). Same with Ovechkin's slashes - the first gets let go all the time, and the second looks like it's basically his stick/arms snapping back into place after bouncing off Crosby from the initial slash.
 
Crazy finish to the 3rd period here. Washington dominating the period but Pittsburgh scores 2 goals late with the net empty to tie it up and send things to OT.
 
bustaheims said:
herman said:
https://streamable.com/5h57m

Niskanen got 5+game misconduct for this, but I think the culprit is largely Ovechkin for slashing Crosby twice (once in the helmet), and taking his left skate out from under him from behind. Nisaknen's follow through looks more unfortunately incidental.

Ovechkin taking out Crosby's skate out from under him is definitely the main culprit here. Without that, Niskanen's crosscheck is into the chest/arm - and probably doesn't even earn a call (playoff rules, of course). Same with Ovechkin's slashes - the first gets let go all the time, and the second looks like it's basically his stick/arms snapping back into place after bouncing off Crosby from the initial slash.
I don't see it that way, I see Crosby buckel because Oveckin slashes him over the head.
 
cabber24 said:
I don't see it that way, I see Crosby buckel because Oveckin slashes him over the head.

If Crosby buckles from that tap on the helmet, he's more fragile than we've been led to believe. There's no force behind the stick hitting Crosby in the head. However, his left skate gets turned around when Ovechkin's right foot takes it out, causing his knee to bend sideways, which takes his head on a collision course with Niskanen's stick.
 
bustaheims said:
cabber24 said:
I don't see it that way, I see Crosby buckel because Oveckin slashes him over the head.

If Crosby buckles from that tap on the helmet, he's more fragile than we've been led to believe. There's no force behind the stick hitting Crosby in the head. However, his left skate gets turned around when Ovechkin's right foot takes it out, causing his knee to bend sideways, which takes his head on a collision course with Niskanen's stick.
BS, I don't want to watch a league where it's okay to hit people over the head with their sticks, especially the best player in the league. Why are we trying to justify it? I don't really want to get in to the details but I would not consider that a "tap" put a helmet on and have someone "tap" you over the head like that. The league needs to protect their largest assets and currently they do not.
 
cabber24 said:
BS, I don't want to watch a league where it's okay to hit people over the head with their sticks, especially the best player in the league. Why are we trying to justify it? I don't really want to get in to the details but I would not consider that a "tap" put a helmet on and have someone "tap" you over the head like that. The league needs to protect their largest assets and currently they do not.

If the stick to the head was intentional, I'd be with you, but, from watching the replay, I really don't see it that way. The second slash was very much the result of Ovechkin's arms/wrists realigning after the recoil from the initial slash. There's no malicious intent there. There's no wind up or follow through. There's barely any force behind the contact. It's entirely incidental and, really, insignificant. If his skate isn't taken out, he doesn't go face first into Niskanen, he doesn't injured, and we're not talking about this incident at all.
 
I known Niskanen knows where his stick and the best player on the ice are pretty much at all times, but I still wouldn't say he cross-checked Crosby with malicious intent. Looked more like a protective block/catch to prevent his own organs from being caved in. I'm okay with no further supplemental discipline.

Even Ovechkin's slew foot is more incidental than malicious.
 
herman said:
I known Niskanen knows where his stick and the best player on the ice are pretty much at all times, but I still wouldn't say he cross-checked Crosby with malicious intent. Looked more like a protective block/catch to prevent his own organs from being caved in. I'm okay with no further supplemental discipline.

Even Ovechkin's slew foot is more incidental than malicious.

Yeah. The whole thing is basically a sequence of unfortunate events that compounded on each other. Really, the only intentional act was Ovechkin's initial slash. Everything else was either circumstantial or reactionary.
 

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