Flyers forward Travis Konecny put Sidney Crosby in a headlock Tuesday night, prompting the Penguins star to retaliate and take him down. That's quite a different situation than Tom Wilson's latest outburst, which involved the oft-suspended winger dealing a blow to the back of an unsuspecting opponent's head.
But yet, ESPN anchor Randy Scott still compared Crosby and Wilson. Why let facts get in the way of a good hot take?
Scott made the boneheaded analogy when he shared video of the Crosby-Konecny fracas.
There are many problems with Scott's tweet, beginning with Wilson's long history of infractions. The veteran has been suspended five times in his eight-year career, including this season, when he boarded Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. That violation of hockey decency cost Wilson $311,781.
Crosby, meanwhile, has spoken out against Wilson over the years, essentially calling him a "headhunter."
Wilson lived up to the title Monday, when he started punching Pavel Buchnevich in the head on the ground and body slamming Artemi Panarin. Buchnevich, who was in the midst of a breakout season, is now out indefinitely.
Disgustingly, Wilson seemed proud of his actions. He took his jersey off and appeared to flex in the penalty box as the referees were handing out penalties (he received a 10-minute misconduct).
In a statement, the Rangers expressed their disappointment Wilson wasn't suspended for his "horrifying act of violence." The team called for the NHL's head of player safety to resign.
That's a long way of saying: Wilson's altercation Monday was far from an isolated incident. It was also cheap and cowardly. He started wailing away at a defenseless Buchnevich when he was face down on the ice. Konecny put Crosby, who has a history of neck and concussion issues, in a headlock.
The eight-time All-Star was trying to free himself, so he turned over Konecny — while adding a little extra English.
"You seriously can't see the difference?," our own Andrew Limberg tweeted at Scott.
Apparently, the answer is "no." Is this the kind of coverage we have to look forward to when ESPN starts broadcasting NHL games next season?
