The Pittsburgh Penguins walked away with their second Stanley Cup in a row. They beat the Nashville Predators in Game 6 with a 2-0 victory. Close to going into overtime, the game turned into the Penguins' to lose when they scored with less than 2 minutes left in the game. The second goal was basically a garbage goal that landed in an empty net when the Predators pulled their goalie to try to tie it up. When the game ended, many Nashville fans felt robbed. Colton Sisson’s goal in the second period had not counted, due to the referees apparently blowing the whistle by accident before the puck entered the net.
The puck had clearly crossed the line. The controversial call came back to haunt them when the Penguins scored their first goal. Other calls created some controversy. Here is why Predator fans are angry.
Two 'no goals' in the series
If you are a Nashville fan, you may have watched Sidney Crosby carry the cup around the ice with a bitter taste in your mouth. In Game 1 of the series, the first goal of the game that was scored by P.K. Subban was called back after Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan used a coach’s challenge. Sullivan claimed that the Predators were offside when they entered Pittsburgh’s zone. The replay appeared to be too close to call, but the goal was overturned. Combine that with Sisson’s “whistle goal” in Game 6 and you have some fans who feel that the calls were unfair, with the Game 6 incident possibly costing the Predators the game.
Mike Milbury's comments in Game 5
Hockey is a contact sport with checking and hitting each other against the boards. However, smashing somebody’s head against the ice is not allowed. That is what Crosby did to player P.K. Subban, who had grabbed Crosby’s ankle in Game 5. Crosby smashed Subban’s head against the ice a few times and no penalty was called.
While announcing the game, sports announcer Mike Milbury claimed that Subban had that coming.
Now, many Nashville fans are angry at Milbury and want him fired for the comment. With the new information on concussions and the damage that they cause -- and Crosby suffering from a concussion in the playoffs which put him on the bench -- many people feel that Crosby’s actions should have been penalized and that Milbury should not have condoned the head smashing.
Predator fans retaliated after Game 6 by shouting obscenities at Milbury during the post-game show. While two wrongs do not make a right, Milbury could smooth things over by offering an apology for his comment.
Better luck next year, Nashville.