Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby offered his perspective on Connor McDavid’s three-game suspension for cross-checking Conor Garland during Saturday’s Edmonton-Vancouver clash. Speaking to The Athletic on Monday, Crosby acknowledged McDavid’s actions but framed them within the physical nature of hockey.

Crosby - who was the face of the league for most of his career - knows a thing or two about the liberties taken against star players on a nightly basis

Sidney Crosby is one of them. McDavid, after being held to the ice by Vancouver’s Conor Garland for a handful of seconds in the final moments of the Canucks’ 3-2 win on Saturday, lost his temper and cross-checked the Canucks forward in the face. It earned McDavid a three-game suspension, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.