Sidney Crosby was steaming mad Wednesday night, and he had good reason to be.
The Pittsburgh Penguins star was slashed on the hand by Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin during the third period in Game 4 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series, and as Crosby exited toward the dressing room for evaluation, he took out his anger on the wall of the tunnel.
The sequence had Penguins fans fearing the worst, but only for a few fleeting minutes. Crosby returned to the game, and Pittsburgh went on to win 4-3 on an overtime goal by Patric Hornqvist.
“Yeah, I thought it was worse than it was,” Crosby told reporters after the game, via ESPN.com. “I don’t think it was anything other than that. Initially you think maybe you’re not coming back, so it’s not a great feeling, but I don’t think there was any intention there. I’m trying to keep a puck in and he’s trying to make sure that I don’t. He caught me there, but that’s part of it. Whenever you win it’s always a better feeling, there’s no doubt.”
The Penguins now lead the best-of-seven series three games to one. They can clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference finals — and hand the Capitals yet another disappointing early playoff exit — with a win Saturday night in Game 5.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
