Matt Niskanen might have just changed the way we remember Ovechkin's career.
Five minutes into game three between Pittsburgh and Washington, and Sidney Crosby is down after a nasty cross check (intentional or not) by Caps' defenseman Matt Niskanen. No video to share yet, but that is a potential series changing play if the Kid can't come back. Ouch.
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Matt Niskanen might have just changed the way we remember Ovechkin's career.
I am all about safety and protecting players. This was strange though. Crosby was clipped by Ovechkin (high stick maybe?) which basically forces Crosby to one knee where he is hit a split second later by Niskanen. No question, it's a cross check to Crosby's head, but it is at waist level.
One thing I don't like, is it being called a minor at first. After Crosby was down for a minute or two, the refs got together and changed it to a major penalty. Now, don't get me wrong. If it needs to be a major penalty, that is fine. And I also understand that whether or not the target is injured or not, needs to play a factor in deciding minor or major? I just can't help but wonder if they changed the call because it's Crosby. And he was clearly groggy, so is it now a major penalty because of Crosby's concussion history? I hope that's not the case, but I can't help but wonder about it...
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Waist level or not Niskanen brought his stick up to Crosby's head.
The amount of cross-checking that goes on in every single NHL game is ridiculous. Maybe 1 in 1000 of them gets called, and I have no idea why.
It looks like there was a high stick to the top of Sid's helmet from Ovie that put him in that vulnerable position to Niskanen. Always concern when Sid gets hit in the head.. sigh.
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Here's video:
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I've certainly seen worse... if it wasn't Crosby was that 5 & a game? Consequently, does this mean suspension?
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seeing it from the angle newf posted it from vs. the patyof posted, I would really be shocked if Niskanen gets anything more than he already got. I'm not sure I would even call that a full on cross check. He never fully extends his arms at any point and if you watch his eyes, he never looks at Sid, only the ongoing play. His hands stay with Crosby sticking with his man.
Yes there's a clear shove, but it's really Ovie's stick that makes Crosby flop to the side into Nisk.
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Pause that at 1:35. ouch! how his leg doesn't snap into two....could have done some serious knee damage. Thank God he does yoga.
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The real problem is people legitimately think intent should matter on the penalty called of a cross check to the head. That's uh. Wow.
The hands don't go up, Crosby's head goes down as he's falling from the high stick from Ovie. Niskanen doesn't even make a significant forward motion with his arms, other than perhaps to keep distance from a checking player. Watching his eyes, he's following the play, not Crosby. It's not only lack of intent here... there isn't even that normal front of the net cross checking motion from what I can see, I've now watched this about 30-40 times.
He's bracing for impact from Sid coming at him. I'd like some other folks to watch this a bunch of times too. Nisk. isn't even throwing a cross check at all.
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How to judge "intent" is debatable, and whether or not it should be factored in is also debatable. However, "Intent to injure" has been a factor in NHL officiating for a long, long time...
Whether or not something genuinely seems to be an accident is something that is often pretty obvious. In this case, because of the situation, I find it quite believable that Niskanen didn't intend to do that at all.
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My initial reaction is he did damage to his leg. I didn't even think head until they keep showing the crosscheck. Look at the way Crosby's on the ice, the way he rolled over, the way he lies on his side when the trainer is checking on him. Looks like a knee/leg problem to me.
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