Sid vicious - 12-22-08

Larry Brooks wrote an article about it (featured on Foxsports.com today).  He's complaining about Crosby, and he also complains about Mats Sundin spurning the Rangers for one "rea$on."  Yeah, a Rangers fan/writer is complaining about a player taking the money to go elsewhere.  What a joke.

All the puppy-drowners are on the Foxsports boards talking about how Crosby is a bum and he just did that because the Flyers whipped the Pens last week.  Some guy wrote that Crosby felt better after remembering the Conference Finals last season, and the puppy-drowners all went berzerk.

I'm wondering if he should have received a third man in with a game misconduct and one-game suspension.

But I think if it were any other Pens player -- even Malkin -- he would have been penalized more heavily.

I realize that it's (probably) the Atlanta color guy at the end of the video, but he's way out of line trying to equalize a Crosby punch to Valabik's man-parts to McSorley's stick attack on Brashear's face.  There is absolutely no comparison there whatsoever, and it is extremely irresponsible to even suggest otherwise.  

Quite honestly, I believe whoever said it was trying to stoke the flames of this so high so as to get it noticed by someone in league authority and to get Crosby some further punishment than a two-minute minor.  If something is done, I won't have a problem with it, but if nothing happens...c'est la vie.

i cant watch the vid but if i remember correctly it was when the guy fell on orpiks leg cause cros pushed him

either way ive never seen sid be a dirty player before im sure its frustration from the team sucking adn him sucking lately

i agree if its anyone else its treated differently but what hes done for the sport he deserves a little slack

and f it maybe army was hangin out with that guy to much adn sid got jealous haha

My feeling on this play was the guy fell over REAL easy when Crosby pushed him... Then he slides dangerously into Orpik's leg and results in a pile-up around Fleury.  If I were Sid I wouldn't let some stupid guy trying to draw a penalty injure more of my teammates either.

Good post, Seth. I've seen this video elsewhere and I have to say I'm disappointed that the captain would stoop as low as throwing multiple punches to an opponent's manhood. What makes it even worse is that Valabik is already tied up with Orpik, making Sid's actions especially cheap.

It's not totally shocking though, since Sid's on-ice persona is one of almost manic aggressiveness, a direct opposite of his classy and subdued dry-land self. Also, I've been noticing a lot more negative energy from Crosby lately - likely a combination of frustration with his inability to score in the last handful of games and the team's lackluster play.

Bottom line, though: no excuse for what he did to Valabik. A captain can't act like that, no matter the situation.

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I was stuck watching the Atlanta broadcast through NHL Center Ice, and because their broadcast is horrible (probably worse than Versus), I re-watched this scrum transpire multiple times to figure out what happened.

It started when a Thrasher's player skated from behind Orpik and knocked his stick halfway across the defensive zone, with no interference call.  Moments later, a different Thrasher bowled into Orkpik's knees from behind (due to a Crosby push), knocking Orpik to the ice.  The puck went in the net and Orpik came up swinging, and the scrum ensued.

It all started with the blown interference call (which led to a goal) and the refs lost control of the situation.  My guess is that Crosby jumped in because Valabik v. Letang seemed to be an poor matchup, and I was certain Crosby was going to receive a game misconduct for his actions.  The refs did a poor job on that sequence.

Maybe its because his gloves were still on.  Not an excuse, and anyone else would have been penalized harser, but maybe that's part of the reason.

I think that Crosby deserved an interference penalty, and a penalty/misconduct for being the third man in. However, I don't think that the particular hit to the groin area deserved any special consideration, for a couple of reasons. Valabik said he didn't even feel anything, and didn't even know about it until his teammates told him. How is a punch that isn't even felt, 'vicious'? Sid was obviously not using alot of force. And frankly, it looked more like a punch to the butt to me.

I am, however, a bit disappointed in Crosby losing his cool lately. I hope this behavior doesn't continue.

am i the only one that sees Crosby trying to get some kidney shots in and in the process of Sid moving one direction and Valabik moving the other [BOOM] he gets jewels instead of ribs? i really don't think his intended target was the area between the areas.

with that said, i do think Crosby needs to come out publicly and apologize. i'm a little disappointed he hasn't already. everyone has lapses in judgment from time to time, its how you address said judgments afterward is what usually defines you.