“Hey Crosby, you were voted third toughest Canadian, behind Celine Dion and a close second to Avril Lavigne.”
That’s some next-level chirping right there — just ask Sidney Crosby.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain, who has no doubt heard his fair share of jabs, was the target of two minutes worth of material from New York Rangers fan Nick Lipeika while serving a tripping penalty during Wednesday’s game at Madison Square Garden.
Lipeika, who was seated near the visitors’ penalty box, is a seasoned chirper — it’s one of sports’ great arts, after all, especially in The Big Apple — and told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski he tries to be prepared for whomever is sent to the sin bin. While the fan was well-prepared for Crosby, the elite centreman isn’t exactly known for taking penalties (he’s got just 10 so far this season), so it was “like a late Christmas present” for Lipeika to have Crosby as his captive audience early in the first period.
Clearly, Crosby heard him loud and clear. After the game, No. 87 even rewarded his opponent’s creativity by tossing a signed stick over the glass with a pretty great message: “Good chirps. Take it easy on me next time!”
https://twitter.com/Marcus_Mouning/status/1080864917178208256
“He’s probably heard it all. For me, I wanted to tell him things he hasn’t heard before,” Lipeika told Wyshynski on Thursday. “He’s won everything. That’s why everyone wants to heckle him.”
Crosby had two points (1G, 1A) in Pittsburgh’s lopsided 7-2 victory — which could perhaps count towards why Crosby was in such a giving mood post-game.
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