It was overlooked as Jarome Iginla was the second man to hit Matt Martin as time expired in Game 4, and completely forgotten after Evgeni Malkin and Travis Hamonic's part in that buzzer scrum ended with both swinging at the other, but Kris Letang did something that video evidence cannot deny: He up and crosschecked a linesman.
Throw aside for a moment that abuse of official and gross misconduct can lead to severe suspension -- you know it won't here, so no point fighting it -- and ask yourself why?
It was the dying moments of a bitter loss, and Letang, whom you will find increasingly, sneakily dirty the more you watch him, is surely upset. He probably doesn't want to see Matt Martin in his zone with time winding down, lest he pursue an empty net goal (which, to be fair, would have been more challenging than shooting on a net manned by Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 4).
Maybe Letang is upset that, after he hit Martin from the side at the buzzer, Jarome Iginla didn't take full advantage of an easy hit, knocking Martin when he was already off balance.
Linesmen, they come in peace, but maybe Letang's temperature was up so high that the next guy who touched him, even a guy in clearly marked vertical stripes, was a threat.
Whatever the case, an amusingly petulant loss of composure for a team that had a few such indiscretions after John Tavares scored the go-ahead goal. Kris Letang crosschecked a linesman Tuesday night. It is so noted.
Poll
Why is Letang so Letang?
This poll is closed
-
11%
Just bitter at losing, saw a guy, crosschecked him
(4 votes) -
27%
What, like they'd let him crosscheck Fleury?
(10 votes) -
2%
All that black and white, thought it was a real penguin
(1 vote) -
58%
Doesn't matter. Won't be disciplined. Won't be fined. Nothing more to see here. Move along.
(21 votes)