Sidney Crosby when asked this question...

Is it necessary for a player to start a fight after a teammate is hit legally?

"That’s been around for years. I don’t see a problem with that. I don’t see a problem with Thornton going over to [Orpik] and asking him to fight. That’s the response. But to do what he did was totally unnecessary. It’s terrible. I’m sure he knows that more than everybody. He’s made a living at protecting his teammate and sticking up for them. But to confront [Orpik] and ask him to fight, I think every team wants a player like that. There’s nothing wrong with that. But to do what he did to him is not acceptable. He could have done the exact same thing and gotten a two-minute minor for five shifts in a row. There’s nothing wrong with it. … there’s nothing with [Orpik] saying no either. He’s got to play 25 minutes a night against top guys."

more from Crosby at Empty Netters...