May 06 2008
Stage Combat, Man
Although the subject faded as the series progressed (getting pummeled into a three games to none hole, and vanquished in five will do that to you), the Rangers accusations that Sidney Crosby is a “diver” were a major story line early on in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. New York’s choice to employ such verbal sparring seemed questionable at best. Crosby had been on the receiving end of such accusations throughout much of his rookie year, and rather than weigh him down, they stirred his motivation to one of the finest freshmen campaigns in NHL history. Calling out The Kid didn’t do much to influence calls on the ice either, as Martin Straka was whistled for interfering with Crosby in the waning moments of a tied Game 1. The Penguins netted the winning goal on the ensuing power play.
What’s interesting, is that, apparently, there’s even some historical precedence to suggest accusing a Penguins superstar of on ice theatrics is a bad idea. The feature archived issue in SI.com’s Vault this week is from June 1992, featuring Mario Lemieux on the cover following the Pens Stanley Cup sweep over Chicago. In the story that wraps up the finals, Sports Illustrated author Jon Scher is drawn to comments made by Blackhawks coach Mike Keenan earlier in the series regarding the Penguins captain.
But the sound Lemieux heard in the background throughout the playoffs was not the roar of appreciation. Instead it was the rattle of ancient skeletons behind doors he thought had been sealed in the spring of 1991, after he had led the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup. The head rattler was Chicago coach Mike Keenan, who tried desperately to get the attention of league officials with a withering attack on Lemieux during a press conference in Pittsburgh before Game 2.
Keenan accused Lemieux of repeatedly taking pratfalls after incidental contact with opposing players. “I can’t respect Mario for diving,” Keenan said. “The best player in the game is embarrassing himself and embarrassing the game.” The aroma of sour grapes was unmistakable: Chicago defenseman Steve Smith had been called for hooking Lemieux with 18 seconds left in Game 1, and five seconds into the subsequent power play Super Mario flicked a rebound past Blackhawk goaltender Ed Belfour to win the game 5-4. It was a crushing defeat for Chicago, which had led 4-1 in the second period.
“I actually didn’t dive that time,” Lemieux said. Other times, many other times, he has tumbled to the ice hoping to attract a sympathetic whistle. Early in his career Lemieux was excoriated behind his back by opposing players, coaches and front-office types who saw his flopping as unseemly behavior for a would-be superstar in a sport that likes its rough edges razor sharp. After Lemieux led the Penguins to a Cup, the criticism faded, only to be revived by Keenan in a pointed attempt to influence the referees in a series that, from Keenan’s perspective, had already gone awry.
As usual, Lemieux played it close to the sweater. “No comment,” he said after scoring the winning goal in Game 2. a 3-1 Pittsburgh victory. Then he smiled and added, “For now.”
The Chicago camp insisted later in the week that no disrespect to Lemieux had been intended. “We don’t mean to cast anything negative toward Mario,” said Darryl Sutter, the Blackhawks’ associate coach. “We’re just asking the question, Is there another set of rules, unwritten rules, that are there for Mario and Mario alone? Based on what we’ve seen in this series, the answer is yes.”
So what does that tell us? Well for starters, Mike Keenan was a dick even back then. Also, it’s probably not a good idea to give the superstar captain of the Penguins extra motivation. But, most importantly I think, is that it’s good perspective on the accusations surrouding Sid. Thankfully, the diving accusations aren’t even a footnote to Lemieux’s career and it’s doubtful they will be for Crosby either. I guess it’s just hard sometimes for others to accept by beaten so thoroughly by natural talent.