Sidney Crosby got a penalty for embellishment. This Flyers fan from Fishtown gave him a look that spoke for everyone.
“It was me just reacting to the situation. ... It was just [Crosby] being a baby,” the fan said.
On Wednesday night, two Flyers fans from Fishtown, Calvin and Collin, settled into their seats behind the Pittsburgh Penguins’ penalty box for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. They were there to celebrate Calvin’s birthday; the tickets were a present from his wife, Alley.
The fans expected to catch a competitive game, and hopefully, a Flyers win. What they didn’t expect was to become an internet meme by the end of the first period.
But that is precisely what happened.
With only one minute and 13 seconds remaining, Penguins center Sidney Crosby fell to the ice. Boos rained down as the referees tried to litigate the situation.
A few seconds earlier, Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway‘s stick hit Crosby’s helmet. The Flyer was promptly sent to the penalty box for high-sticking, but so was Pittsburgh’s future Hall of Famer, for embellishment.
It was the first embellishment call of Crosby’s 21-year career. Penguins head coach Dan Muse was beside himself. Crosby didn’t seem too thrilled, either, and later told reporters he didn’t agree with the call.
Most Flyers fans, however, did agree with the call, including Collin, who requested his last name remain anonymous. At first, he didn’t know what had happened, so he looked up at the screen, only to see Crosby “flailing everywhere.”
“And then I was like, ‘Oh, come on, dude. Dude, are you serious? Come on. Let’s play hockey,’” Collin said.
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The salesman, who was born and raised as a “4-for-4“ Philadelphia sports fan in Downingtown, had long seen high-profile players like Crosby get a more lenient ruling from officials.
In his mind, justice had finally been served. So, from his seat behind the far right corner of the penalty box, the fan from Fishtown yelled over to the Hall of Famer.
“I said something like, ‘This is a hockey game. This isn’t theater!’” he recalled. “Or something like that. You know, ‘Night out at the theater.’”
He flashed the Penguins center an incredulous smile, and then, Crosby turned around, and smiled back.
“It was me just reacting to the situation,” Collin said. “With, you know, the flailing. It was just like him being a baby.
“It’s some of the gamesmanship, like they call it in soccer. Those little ways that you can try to get a penalty, which gives your team an advantage. And he didn’t get away with it this time. And I think he knew, when you saw his little reaction.
“He’s obviously a future Hall of Famer, and has been a great rival for the Flyers for a long time. It’s nice to see us get the upper hand, at least for now.”
» READ MORE: The Flyers won Game 3 the way they used to, and it all felt fresh and new and promising | Mike Sielski
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast caught the interaction, and within minutes, it went viral. To many fans, it seemed like a tacit acknowledgment from Crosby that he had been playing everything up.
Collin interpreted it this way, too.
“He probably just saw me looking at him, with a funny face, like, ‘Dude, come on,’” he said. “And a little twinkle in his eye. Like yeah, maybe I oversold that a little bit.”
Collin wasn’t looking for his 15 minutes of fame, but he was entertained by some of the responses to his knowing glance. It was almost as if the exchange with Crosby seemed to tap into what the entire Delaware Valley was feeling in that moment.
But the lifelong Flyers fan did want to clear one thing up.
“I know there’s a couple people that thought that I looked like a woman,” Collin said. “So, that was a little weird. But it’s a weird angle too. It’s like this little camera in the corner of the penalty box. But I’m self confident. I don’t really care."
» READ MORE: Playoff hockey in Philly ‘means everything’ to Flyers fans. Here’s how they celebrated.
Flyers lead series 3-0
Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2 | Sielski: Kids stand tall
Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins 0 | Sielski: Stealing Pens' will
Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2 | Sielski: Shades of glory days
Game 4: Penguins at Flyers, 8 p.m. Saturday, NBCSP/TBS/truTV/HBO MAX
*Game 5: Flyers at Penguins, Monday (Time TBD)
*Game 6: Penguins at Flyers, Wednesday (Time TBD)
*Game 7: Flyers at Penguins, May 2 (Time TBD)
*if necessary
