There aren’t many things on this earth that I can’t stand more than those fascist little Serbians, and one of them is Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby. “Sid The Kid” was the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft, and by all accounts, the 23-year-old has lived up to the hype. His accolades have been well-documented and deserved, but every so often, Crosby pulls some garbage reminiscent of that preppy little third-line kid whose dad coaches the team and does whatever he wants. These pot shots taken against his opponents are infuriating, almost as much as the NHL’s stubborn refusal to discipline him.

Another glaring instance of Sid’s preferential treatment surfaced last night when Crosby pulled a slewfoot on the New York Rangers’ Brandon Dubinsky Ryan Callahan, kicking dude’s skate out from behind. And it was Dubinsky that wound up getting called for interference. Slew-footing carries a match penalty and subsequent ejection from the game, which obviously did not happen.

“That’s just a dirty play,” Dubinsky said while on the MSG set. “That’s just the type of guy he is. He tries to get away with all that kind of nonsense and complains a lot.”

Watching the replays of Monday’s action, it also appeared Crosby slew-footed Sean Avery in the third period. This time Crosby earned a tripping call, offset by a matching minor to Brandon Prust, who took exception to the play.

–ESPN NY.

Crosby, in my mind, personifies everything I hate about the “new NHL”: this new wave of players aren’t forced to be accountable for their actions. And Crosby getting the Dwyane Wade treatment doesn’t make the NHL’s product less entertaining and more infuriating. He may as well hit Dubinsky from behind with a steel chair while Evgeni Malkin distracts the referee. At the least, that’s cowardice that most of us can appreciate.