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Question: Could you please tell me what Sid Crosby ever did to make Flyers fans hate him so much?
Bob Goodman, Scituate, Mass.
MOLINARI: Aw, I think you have it all wrong, sir. The people in Philadelphia absolutely adore Crosby.
If they didn't, why the Wachovia Center crowd -- including elementary-school children sitting with what presumably are their parents -- devote so much time and energy to that "Crosby's Pucks" chant that seems to break out every two or three minutes when the Penguins are in town? How else could that be interpreted, except as a loving tribute to how often Crosby has the puck on his stick every time he plays there? (Generally, right up until the moment when he either scores or sets up a goal, which has happened with remarkable frequency during the four seasons he's been playing there.)
And if Crosby wasn't wildly popular on the far side of the Commonwealth, why would the Wachovia Center organ-grinder go out of his way to routinely accompany, if not instigate, those chants? He/she/it obviously has at least the tacit approval of the Flyers' front office, so you know the respect and admiration that entire region feels for Crosby is shared by the organization's decision-makers.
Just in case the above response wasn't satisfactory, I'll pass your question along to the folks over at the Psychiatry Q&A, who are infinitely more qualified to address it.
Question: Evgeni Malkin made a "distinct kicking motion" and failed to get his stick on the puck before it crossed the goal line (during Game 5). As we all know, the call was "no goal," after a video review. After the game, I realized that there was a part of the sequence about which I'm not sure -- whether Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron made contact with the puck, which slid under his left arm. If a player kicks the puck as Malkin did and it makes contact with the goaltender (or another player on the defending team, for that matter) en route to the net, is it a goal?
John Chester, Trenton, N.J.
MOLINARI: No, such a goal should not count, for reasons spelled out by Rule 49.2.
It says, in part, that "A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or official."
Question: Will the new arena have a blue seat-type section, as the current arena does?
Will, Blawnox
MOLINARI: Penguins officials say there will be 2,000 club seats at the Consol Energy Center, up from the 1,600 Igloo seats at Mellon Arena. There also will be 66 suites, an increase from the current 53, and about 250 loge seats, for which there is no equivalent in the current building.
First Published: April 27, 2009, 4:00 a.m.
