"It's not one that happens too often": When Sidney Crosby addressed Alex Ovechkin & Capitals teammate's controversial hit during 2017 playoffs

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Round 2 matchup against the Washington Capitals in 2017. Crosby was injured after being slashed by Caps captain Alex Ovechkin while driving to the net.

An off-balance Crosby then fell towards the Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen, who delivered a cross-check to the head of the Penguins captain. See the video below:

Fortunately for the Penguins, Crosby was able to return to the lineup for Game 5 just five days after receiving the concussion. He addressed the controversial incident by noting that Alex Ovechkin was just trying to prevent a goal, which he described as a common play.

Regarding the play from Niskanen, Crosby was less definitive, stating that it's not a situation that happens often, and he wouldn't speculate on the intent:

"(Ovechkin) is just trying to prevent a goal. That's a pretty common play," Crosby said via Fox. "There are different levels of how hard, but that's standard as far as going to the net with the puck, guys are trying to prevent you from shooting.

"The other play (with Niskanen) is hard to say. I'm not going to sit here and guess. It's not one that happens too often," he added.

Matt Niskanen was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for his play, with many believing the defenseman should have faced additional supplementary discipline. However, others argued it was an unfortunate incident without malicious intent.

Nevertheless, it became a memorable run for Sidney Crosby and the Penguins as they eliminated the Capitals in seven games. The Penguins went on to clinch back-to-back Stanley Cups after defeating the Ottawa Senators in the Conference finals and the Nashville Predators in the Cup finals in six games.

Sidney Crosby became only third player in NHL history to win back-to-back playoff MVP awards

NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators - Source: Imagn

Sidney Crosby concluded the 2017 playoffs as the second-highest scorer, amassing 27 points from right goals and 19 assists over 24 games. He earned his second straight Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, making him one of the only three players to achieve this feat consecutively.

He followed in the footsteps of Penguins legend Mario Lemieux (1991 and 1992) and Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent (1974 and 1975) as recipients of back-to-back playoff MVP awards.