ICE HOCKEY: LOSS OF FINGER JUST PART OF THE GAME

Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher: Marc Methot's finger is 'destroyed'; no punishment for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby

ESPN
March 24, 2017

The Ottawa Senators got a big win but lost a player in the process.

Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan scored in a shootout as the Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Thursday night. They appear to have lost defenseman Marc Methot for perhaps an extended period of time, though, after he took a slash from Sidney Crosby in the first period.

Ottawa played the final 45 minutes without Methot, who left the game with a bloodied and mangled finger on his left hand following a two-handed slash from Crosby, who didn't receive a penalty on the play.

Methot grabbed Crosby by the jersey after the whistle and had a few words for the Penguins captain before leaving the ice.

"His finger is destroyed. It's shattered and he's out for weeks," Senators coach Guy Boucher said.

Crosby will not face discipline for the play, as NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN the league is not looking into the incident.

While not referencing Crosby by name, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk went off about the incident on Friday and called for a suspension.

"We all know who he is. The guy is just beyond belief," Melnyk told TSN 1200 radio in Ottawa. "You do this kind of stuff, I don't care who you are in the league, I don't care if you're the No. 1 player in the league, you need to sit out a long time for this kind of crap."

Senators captain Erik Karlsson said it was an unfortunate play but one that happens all the time. This one just went bad.

"[Crosby] puts his stick in as [Methot] is trying to shoot the puck in, and unfortunately, it hits his finger," Karlsson said. "It turns out worse than most other times. Plays like that happen all the time, but I don't think it was intentional or dirty."

Crosby echoed those sentiments, saying he wasn't looking to injure Methot.

"I was just trying to get his stick, and I think I caught his finger, judging by his reaction and their reaction," Crosby said. "I've gotten those before. They don't feel good."

EDITOR’S NOTE: For the uninitiated, Sidney Crosby is considered one of the greatest hockey players ever. He is not a dirty player.