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Sidney Crosby Takes Jab At Refs, Officiating After Penguins’ Loss To Capitals

Sidney Crosby took a subtle jab at the officiating following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals.

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WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins met for a game that felt a lot like a postseason matchup, and in a lot of ways, resembled one. When it was all set and done, Washington prevailed in the hard-fought battle for both sides with a 3-2 shootout win. But Sidney Crosby wasn't pleased with the result — or the officiating.

Crosby offered a sarcastic comment toward the referees on Friday following the loss, saying that there was a lot on the line and hinting that perhaps the officials didn't take it as seriously as he did.

"I think the officials would too, right?" Crosby quipped after the loss with regard to the importance of the showdown between the two teams, who were neck-and-neck in the standings going into Thursday's game. "But I think the urgency, the desperation, the intensity was there. I think that's to be expected."

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The Penguins got just one power-play opportunity in the loss, while Washington had three chances, including a 4-on-3 in the final minutes of overtime, which led to a full kill and little opportunity for Pittsburgh to make things happen in the extra five minutes. The game went to a shootout, as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his slow-mo goal while Nicklas Backstrom also converted on his chance for the 3-2 victory.

Crosby had a few meetings with the referees throughout the game, including one for Garnet Hathaway's hit on Jake Guentzel early on. After the Capitals' 3-2 shootout win, Crosby shared some words with the referees at the end of the game.

Casey DeSmith said that the game was one fueled by emotion and passion, as is every rivalry game.

"It's always emotional against these guys," DeSmith said. "They're always a good team. They're always tough to play against. Wish we got two points instead of one."