Sidney Crosby was back on the ice for game seven on Sunday night after sustaining a concussion in game five, but watched his Penguins cough up a lead for the third straight game to complete a collapse to the Rangers in which they held a 3-1 series lead.
Many pointed to Crosby’s injury, sustained after a hit from Jacob Trouba, as the turning point in game five, as New York went on to come back and win the game, and Crosby believes a “terrible rule” was behind a turning point in the decisive game seven at The Garden.
With the Blueshirts trailing with less than six minutes to go in regulation, Alexis Lafreniere and Marcus Pettersson tussled and fell behind the Pittsburgh net, with Lafreniere’s arm around Pettersson’s neck. When the two got back to their feet, Pettersson’s helmet was removed, and, by rule, had to return to the bench.
By the time his replacement, Kris Letang, made it into the defensive zone, the Rangers had tied the game.
Pittsburgh, arguing that Pettersson’s helmet was intentionally removed, pleaded for a penalty call that never came.
“Tonight I think was an example of one game anything can happen,” Crosby said. “A terrible rule probably ended up being the difference in the game.”
Crosby’s head coach had a similar sentiment.
“I think it stinks,” Mike Sullivan said. “He has to come off. His helmet got pulled off intentionally, but that’s the rule.”
The rule was first implemented during the 2019-20 season, and does include an explanation that a player can stay on the ice is he puts his helmet back on “in a reasonable period of time,” but the Penguins clearly aren’t a fan of the rule at all.
“It’s a rule made by the NHL that could be changed,” goalie Tristan Jarry said. “I don’t think there are many injuries that happen when players play without helmets. It’s something that cost us. He loses his helmet, he comes back to the net and plays the guy out front. I think that’s a nothing play.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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