It's Playoff Time, Anything Goes: Pens' Georges Laraque Responds to Don Brennan

In his Tuesday April 8 article entitled "Sens need to stir pot", Ottawa Sun journalist Don Brennan made some sketchy comments about Penguins' captain Sidney Crosbys' ankle injury.  Brennan said, "Crosby's got a bad RIGHT ankle? How will it stand up to a two-hander? The Senators have to find out... It's playoff time. Anything goes." 

In a blatant attempt to remind everyone, including the Senators, exactly where Crosby's weak spot may be, Brennan throws out an outlandish call-to-arms and suggests that the Sens' deliberately go after Crosby's right ankle.  Suggesting that such conduct take place in any professional sporting event is not only disrespectful to the Ottawa Sun, the Ottawa Senators, the Pittsburgh Penguins, but to the NHL and professional sports as a whole.

Penguins' enforcer Georges Laraque had been hassled by the media, before and after the Penguins' Game 1 victory, about what his response to Brennan's comments might be.  In the Penguins' locker room after Wednesday's game, Big Georges responded by calling Brennan "stupid" through the media, however this did not slow the onslaught of questioning.

In Thursday's Ottawa Sun, Brennan countered Laraque by saying that Georges should "call me that to my face."  Little did he know, the big man would grant his wish just a few short hours later.

In the Penguins' locker room after Thursday morning's practice, with a room full of media and his teammates looking on, Laraque spotted Brennan from across the room, and quickly approached the arrogant journalist.  Laraque glared downward at Brennan and said, "You wanted me to call you stupid to your face? Well, you are stupid."  Brennan had no direct response in a room suddenly filled with tension so thick that you couldn't cut it with a knife. 

The confrontation ended peacefully, with Laraque slyly grinning, and talks of a cage match between the Pens' enforcer and the Ottawa journalist ensued, with Laraque agreeing to "fight on my knees" in such an event.

While nothing in the realm of a physical response occured, Brennan will likely choose his words more wisely in his next article.