‘LIKES TO HEAR HIMSELF TALK’

Sid responds to Melnyk’s rant

Sidney Crosby wasn’t going to get into a war of words with Eugene Melnyk.

After the Ottawa Senators owner called Crosby a “whiner beyond belief ” Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins all-star captain addressed the media Sunday before facing the Philadelphia Flyers.

Melnyk was upset Crosby broke defenceman Marc Methot’s finger with a slash that’s going to keep him sidelined for a minimum of two weeks and likely more.

“I’m just going to leave it, guys,” Crosby told Pittsburgh reporters. “He just likes to hear himself talk. Let’s leave it. It’s four days ago.”

While the Senators wanted Crosby suspended, the league determined there wouldn’t be any discipline as a result of the play. Officials could have solved the situation by giving Crosby a five-minute major that would have carried a game misconduct. That’s why Melnyk was so upset; he thought it should have been dealt with one way or another.

Crosby said the kind of injury Methot suffered is from lack of protection.

“If you get it in the right spot, those plays happen,” he said. “I could tell with his reaction that I got him in a bad spot. I didn’t see his finger until after the game. It’s dangerous when you get one in a bad spot.”

Crosby said slashes are nothing new to the game.

The game is covered from so many different angles,” Crosby said. “You used to be able to be discreet if you’re going after a guy’s hands. It’s been something that’s been kind of a hot topic with guys breaking fingers and stuff like that.

“Those plays have happened for a long time. I think, with some injuries and with the way Methot’s finger looked, it’s something that’s going to be talked about.”