Penguins podcast: Sidney Crosby is right to ask about NHL 'gray' area after controversial hit

If you are a Penguins fan, there wasn’t much to like in the wake of the team’s 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.

It seemed to be a great chance to snare two more points away from a struggling East Division rival.

After all, the Penguins had won six in a row. The Bruins had lost four of five and were in a real goal-scoring rut, and goalie Daniel Vladar was making his NHL debut.

But Vladar was excellent, making 34 saves on 35 shots on goal. Including this beauty.

Henceforth you shall be known as Darth... Vladar. pic.twitter.com/HtuXHrpUjC

— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2021

Not only that, but center Evgeni Malkin suffered a lower-body injury during a collision with Jarred Tinordi in the first period. And the Penguins had to spend five minutes of the game killing off a boarding major penalty assessed to Brandon Tanev for this hit on Tinordi.

Brandon Tanev ejected (match penalty) for boarding #NHLBruins defender Jarred Tinordi. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/jOQ94orASL

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 17, 2021

Tanev may have come from distance. But it wasn’t late. It wasn’t from behind. I don’t think it was a major. In fact, I don’t even know if it was a penalty. But it looked bad as Tinordi crumpled in front of his own bench. And the Bruins bum-rushed Tanev to get a piece of him.

So a five-minute major was assessed and Tanev was ejected.

“It’s unfortunate how the circumstance evolved. But the player was a long way from the boards on the initial contact. I just think (Tanev) was trying to finish his check,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said.

After the game, Penguins center Sidney Crosby repeatedly said that he appreciates the fact that NHL officials err on the side of caution and “keep the players safe” and he “gets” the call.

In fact, he made that point three or four times in the span of two sound bites.

But Crosby didn’t think that hit, in particular, deserved a major. And I think he’s right.

“I don’t think (Tanev) had any intent there,” Crosby said. “I hope Tinordi is OK. He went in pretty awkwardly. He hit him clean. He hit him timely — as far as the puck being there. I don’t think it warranted a five-minute (penalty).”

The Pens captain went on to bemoan what he is calling a “gray” area that is developing regarding hits such as Tanev’s.

“I hope as players we can get some clarity on what is a good hit and what is not,” Crosby continued. “It’s tough to gauge when you are out there. But right now, it is really hard to know what is, in fact, clean and what is not. That’s important to know when you are out there playing.”

Crosby was critical of what he deemed to be a lack of consistency from night to night.

“You see some hits throughout the league through the first half of the season, it’s hard as a player to know. We look at a hit and we say, ‘It’s a suspension,’ and it’s not. Or ‘It’s a penalty,’ and it’s not. And then you see a hit like that and you don’t expect a five-minute major and it ends up being a major.”

Making matters worse for the Penguins, they play again Thursday with Malkin banged up, Teddy Blueger out “longer term” (according to Sullivan) with an upper-body injury, and Tanev perhaps facing league discipline.

Thankfully, the Penguins get the New Jersey Devils for the first time this season. They’ve only won nine times in 26 games.

In Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast, Brian Metzer joins me to talk about the hit, Malkin’s injury and the impressive debut of Vladar.