Almost 30 years after Adam Graves became Pittsburgh’s biggest villain, another New York Rangers player is drawing Penguins fans’ ire for injuring their star player.
Unlike Graves, though, Jacob Trouba won’t be suspended.
According to multiple reports, Trouba will not be subjected to a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. That indicates he will not face supplemental discipline for a high hit on Crosby during the second period of the Rangers’ 5-3 victory Wednesday in Game 5 of the teams’ first-round playoff series.
Canadian outlets TSN and SportsNet, as well as the New York Post, are among those reporting the NHL has no scheduled hearing for Trouba.
The hit occurred with 10 minutes, 47 seconds left in the second period as Crosby was skating toward the slot from the right-wing circle in the offensive zone. Crosby appeared to initially lose balance in his left leg. The contact from righthanded-shooting Trouba came from the arm that was holding his stick.
There was no penalty called on the play.
Crosby went immediately to the bench after the hit, and television cameras showed him appearing in discomfort. Crosby took two more short shifts before retreating to the locker room and not returning the remainder of the game.
The Penguins were leading 2-0 when Crosby left the game and less than 27 minutes away from advancing to the second round. New York soon thereafter scored three goals in a span of less than 3 minutes to take the lead. The Rangers ultimately won, 5-3, to trim the Penguins’ series lead to 3-2.
Game 6 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at PPG Paints Arena. Through the comments of coach Mike Sullivan, the Penguins have been vague on Crosby’s status other than to say he was being evaluated and would be evaluated further. Sullivan has acknowledged that Crosby has “an upper-body injury.”
Graves was suspended four games by the NHL for a two-handed slash that broke Mario Lemieux’s wrist during Game 2 of a second-round series between the Penguins and Rangers in 1992. Lemieux missed the next five games, but the Penguins closed out New York without him in Game 6 of the series.
Crosby missed 108 games over the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons due to the effects of hits to the head that led to concussion symptoms.
Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has missed four games since he absorbed a hit to the head early during Game 1 of this series.
