Time For A Chat

There are a few players who have running rivalries in the NHL when it comes to physical play. It used to be more common back in the day when teams had truer rivalries, but rarely do we see the kind of physical battle where player-vs-player runs from season to season. That is, unless you're Brandon Dubinsky and Sidney Crosby. These two seem to have a mutual dislike for one another, and it flared up again tonight.

Here's the video. It shows all you need to see.

While it wasn't as vicious as the Dustin Byfuglien cross-check on JT Miller, the similarities must be drawn because Dubinsky delivered the cross-check to Crosby's neck area. Here's the video of Byfuglien on Miller, and it's ugly.

Dustin Byfuglien was suspended four games for his rather brutal cross-check on Miller, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Dubinsky's wasn't as vicious, but he still cross-checked a guy who has a history of head and neck injuries to the ice and followed up with a second cross-check that broke the shaft of his stick. Whether it was the last cross-check, a combination of the two, or a number of other factors that went into the stick snapping over Crosby's prone body is irrelevant because the optics are bad on this one.

In saying that, the NHL's Department of Player Safety was quickly on the phone to let Dubinsky know that they'll be speaking with him tomorrow morning. Because it's a phone call and not an in-person discussion, the suspension probably won't be as severe as Dustin Byfuglien's suspension of four games was, but Brandon Dubinsky will have to face the fire nonetheless.

Personally, I think he gets hit with a game or two. The cross-check targeted the neck area of Crosby despite Dubinsky stating otherwise, and that will the deciding factor. Crosby was alright despite the infraction, but that's just irresponsible on Dubinsky's part.

Tomorrow's phone call should be interesting!

**UPDATE: Dubinsky was suspended for one game for his actions.**

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!