Even in pre-season action, it's tough to not let emotions overtake you as they did with Sidney Crosby on Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain came to the aid of teammate Kris Letang, who was sandwiched behind the net by Buffalo Sabres forwards Peyton Krebs and Tyson Jost. Crosby then challenged Krebs to a fight, a sequence that surprised many.
For Crosby, instincts had kicked in as he wasn't sure he fought the right player to begin with.
“I just saw Tanger get hit and I didn’t really know. I don’t even think I got the right guy who actually made the initial hit,” Crosby told reporters in Buffalo after the game. “I just saw the aftermath and saw two guys, what looked like two guys who kind of ran him. It didn’t really end up that way, but that's part of the game.”
It was the ninth fight in Crosby's career, with his last one coming back in 2019 against Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Head coach Mike Sullivan didn't mind Crosby coming to the defence of Letang even during a pre-season game, but was also relieved it didn't lead to any injuries.
“I just think it’s obviously a testament to his leadership,” Sullivan said after the game. “He’s sticking up for his teammate. In that situation, I was glad it didn’t last long. Certainly don’t want to put him in those situations, but I think that’s just a testament to his leadership.”
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