Sidney Crosby Derangement Syndrome Strikes Again

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

No doubt the Red Wings' veterans are fully aware of the SCDS phenomenon and knew they could stoke the fires with just a few words, since there is a veritable army of Crosby-haters ready to jump on the bandwagon of any faux controversy. 

Kris Draper started the latest Crosby hate parade. 

Said Draper, "Nick (Lidstrom) was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand. That's ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that!"

Well, we now all know that you said it, Kris, just as you wanted. 

Hope you feel better about yourself. 

And did it ever occur to you to go seek out the young and overly exuberant Penguins' captain to offer your congratulations to him?  Apparently not.

If it was that important to him to shake hands with Sid, he could have gone over to the visitor's locker room, as the classy Brian Rafalski did so that he could offer further congratulations to former teammate Petr Sykora.

Henrik Zetterberg decided to add his own bit of poison to the punch bowl, later commenting, "I think you should do it after a series, shaking hands. I think it's disrespectful. I don't know the reason he didn't do it, but I hope he has a really good one."

Got to give it to him, he's a profound one, that Hank.  He thinks you should shake hands after a competition.  Even your average five-year-old understands that. 

Did it escape his attention that Crosby shook hands with plenty of his teammates?

The insult be Zetterberg was all the more poisonous because of the tremendous individual battle that played out between the two players. 

So, Crosby was called ridiculous and disrespectful by two of the Red Wings' leaders.  What a classy bunch they are, these Red Wings.

Crosby has chosen to not apologize to the Wings.  Good for him. 

Any right to an apology was forfeited when they started spewing technicolor vitriol at him.   

In my eyes, Zetterberg and Draper have forever been diminished. 

Draper let his mouth get the better of him following a tough loss.  Fine, it happens.  But, I'm not sure what really motivated Zetterberg's comments long after the final game was played.

Part me me thinks he may be trying to further fan the flames of a rivalry that doesn't really need it, giving the Red Wings a reason to find the passion that so often eluded them against the Penguins, at least in the early stages of the games.

But, I don't think he is that calculating. 

I suspect he is just bitter at having lost.

The only thing good to come out of this is that there will be even more intensity in what is developing to be the most compelling rivalry in the NHL.

If these two teams meet in the Finals next year, the spotlight that burned on the Crosby-Zetterberg individual battle in this year's series will be blazing smoke-coming-from-the-screen hot.

It is possible that Crosby-Zetterberg may even be eclipsing Crosby-Alex Ovechkin as the league's most compelling individual rivalry.

Sportsmanship is one of the great traditions of hockey.

Too bad Draper and Zetterberg missed one of its key lessons.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?