"Old time hockey would even call that" - NHL fans react to referees' failure to call out Sidney Crosby's "dirty" hit on Brock Faber 

Sidney Crosby and Brock Faber found themselves at the center of a contentious moment during Friday night's game, as the Minnesota Wild clinched a hard-earned 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The second-period incident between the two players sparked reactions from NHL fans.

As Crosby and Faber battled for the puck in the corner, Crosby seemingly raised his stick and forcefully slammed Faber's face into the boards, resulting in Faber crashing to the ice. Surprisingly, there was no penalty called on the play, allowing Crosby to continue playing until he later tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal in the third period.

The incident caught the attention of fans, one of whom shared a video of the controversial play on X.

Renowned reporter Michael Russo also chimed in on the controversy, taking to X to share his perspective. In a tweet, Russo expressed his astonishment at the referees' failure to penalize Sidney Crosby for what appeared to be a dangerous and unchecked play:

"Both refs just ignored Crosby not only mugging Brock Faber but driving him face-first into the glass"

Fan responses were equally impassioned. One fan, in a remark reminiscent of the rough-and-tumble era of "old-time hockey," commented:

"Old time hockey would even call that."

The perception of Crosby as a "golden child" was echoed by another fan who commented:

"That’s because he's a golden child and can do no wrong!"

Some fans expressed outright disbelief at the refereeing, with one remarking:

"Such horrible reffing- no way that they didn’t see this."

"Dirty AF"

Sidney Crosby praised Marc-Andre Fleury's performance

Kirill Kaprizov's decisive goal in the third period secured a 3-2 victory for the Minnesota Wild over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves, his 553rd career win, got honored for surpassing Patrick Roy.

Wild coach John Hynes praised Fleury after the game:

“It was a big difference in the game. Then the way the players play in front of him. It's fun to be involved in that and see how much he battles and how much he means to the team."

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby also tipped his hat to Fleury:

“He made some big saves. I thought they did a great job recognizing what he’s accomplished. It was great to be a part of that."

Matt Boldy and Jonas Brodin contributed to Minnesota's win, which was their second in a row. The Wild need to put together a string of good performances if they are to stake a claim for postseason action.