This was an absolutely brutal loss, but it has nothing to do with the score. The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently without their captain because of a cheap shot elbow from Jacob Trouba. There is no mistaking what Trouba was trying to do. He accomplished the exact thing he wanted. Sidney Crosby, who is playing some of the best hockey in the league right now, left with a head injury.
I don’t think anybody needs a history lesson about Sidney Crosby and the nature of head injuries. The last time this happened he was on top of the hockey world. This time he is playing some of his best hockey, again. It is infuriating we have league whose negligence creates these kinds of situations. A proper league would have a player like Trouba scared to lose millions in suspension for even thinking about head-shotting another player let alone a superstar. It isn’t a proper league so we have this.
Not great pic.twitter.com/ZvcjCgn0Qn
— John (@jtarbett) May 12, 2022
This is a league where they are fine with star players taking head shots. This isn’t the first time for Trouba. He blew up Mark Stone’s head. He got a two-game suspension. Lot of good the two-game suspensions do.
Looks familiar pic.twitter.com/k24OCip9ja
— 2022 Jim (@SportsingJim) May 12, 2022
Trouba also took some unsuccessful high runs at Jake Guentzel who has eight goals in the series so far. He knows what he is doing.
The person responsible for sifting through Trouba’s elbow to Crosby’s head had 36 points in 474 career games as a forward. He did have 1,092 penalty minutes though. Exactly the kind of person you want doing the job, if you’re incompetent.
You have to wonder what the league’s new TV partner thinks of a situation like this. ESPN is in the business of marketing stars and entertainment. They just paid a ton of money to do so. How are they going to feel about their stars missing time because players feel empowered to lead with their elbows due to the long track record of feckless disciplinary action? We’re about to find out. A lame $5,000 fine isn’t going to cut it. It never should.
Losing on the road when you have a 3-1 series lead and have a desperate team on the other side isn’t a bad loss.
Losing your captain for an obvious intent to injure? An absolutely brutal loss. An unacceptable one.
Thanks for reading!