Give me a break.

Posted by ChillDistiller from Michigan on 05/12/22 at 01:03 AM ET

Yeah I’ve seen much more velocity than
this on shots to the head, but there is zero need
for Trouba to have his shoulder and forearm up like that
going into an opponent’s head.

Trouba knows who’s on the ice.
He knows the Rangers have to win
and Crosby has been playing at a high level.

What clinches it for me, other than seeing two angles, twice each,
is Trouba has been doing this all year: high shot shots to hurt or worse
delivered on totally unsuspecting opponents. It’s kind of become his signature
this year with the Rangers.

I’m not a fan of the Pens or Crosby and I don’t know how much
his known history of head and neck injuries should matter.
I don’t know how much time he’s going to miss, if any, other than just part of this game. But Trouba is going way out of his way to hit Crosby in the head and should be suspended. Otherwise I don’t know how you don’t end up with even more hairsplitting DoPS-type talk about how X or Y is actually it’s not quite like the classic head shot we had in mind, and because it’s a Tuesday, no suspension this time.

Posted by lefty.30 on 05/12/22 at 02:14 AM ET

I don’t think it was an “intent to injure” i.e. hoping he took him out, but it was certainly an intent to get a piece of Crosby for sure. I would normally say no suspension, but its Crosby so, we’ll see.

Posted by MurrayChadwick from Window Seat on the Captain's Ship on 05/12/22 at 09:30 AM ET

I think what happens here (I looked at the video frame by frame a few times because it’s kind of strange) is Crosby sees Trouba coming and sort of side-steps to his right (you can see this in how he kicks his left leg to push him to the right).  Trouba then is about to miss the hit he is about to make, and instinctively puts his arm up to still make contact.

In the moment I just can’t imagine Trouba intentionally making that .1 second decision to throw his arm up to purposely hit his head.  No, it’s an instinctive reaction to Crosby’s change of direction. 

That all said, it seems like concussion protocols have really weakened the last few years (possibly during covid they pulled the spotter since no fans were in the arena?).  I have no doubt Crosby will play the next game even if he did get a concussion.  It’s not right, but the league wants their premier players to play - health be damned.

Posted by TreKronor on 05/12/22 at 09:33 AM ET

Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

As for Trouba’s hit, it was high, bad, involved his elbow and looked intentional.

Do I think Trouba was looking to knock Crosby out of the game? Absolutely. The Rangers targeted Crosby from game’s beginning. Trouba elbowed Jake Guentzel in the head not long after the opening draw. Ryan Lindgren of the Rangers eliminated the Penguins’ Rickard Rakell from the series with a high hit in Game 1.

But Evgeni Malkin cross-checked the Rangers’ Kevin Rooney in the face. So, Malkin is no better, especially given his four-game suspension for a similar offense during the regular season.

Trouba’s hit and its result doesn’t invoke outrage on my behalf. It’s more numbing.

The NHL just doesn’t want to get rid of that kind of hit. To the old Canadian stooges who really control the NHL, hits like that are what make hockey hockey. It equates toughness with skill and gives Trouba, to some small degree, the chance to be a factor like Crosby.

more

No update on Crosby at this point, will be evaluated today in Pittsburgh.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/12/22 at 02:26 PM ET

Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

and looked intentional.

See my username

Posted by ilovehomers on 05/12/22 at 02:38 PM ET