Saturday, March 5, 2011

Crosby decked.Was it vicious?

1. Setting the scene
2. Steckel charges into Crosby, leaving the ice















3. Steckel has right hand on his stick and left in Crosby's jaw.













Close up of 2. Steckel puts his shoulder into Crosby's head. His feet are off the ice. This is usually called charging.
















The Washington Capitals had it in for the penguins. In an HBO production Coach Boudreau laid out his plan on HBO, F- the Penguins.

The first picture from the NHL lays out the situation. The puck is on the far boards. Crosby is looking at it and moving slowly towards the center of the circle. Steckel is charging towards it, but clear of Crosby.

In Picture 2, The two converge and Steckel leaves his feet and hits Crosby with his shoulder going at full velocity.


Picture 3 is the clincher. Here, Steckel hits Crosby with his left glove hand as he is traveling at full speed.


You can judge for yourself if this was deliberate. If Steckel had been Pittsburgh's Cooke, he would have been suspended for the season.

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