What's Montreal's Beef with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby?

So what do the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens have in common?

Every one of those fan bases seem to love showing their hate for Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby.

Usually it comes in the form of loud boos or "Crosby sucks!" chants any time he touches the ice or takes possession of the puck.

As a Pens fan who has seen how Crosby reacts to fan hate in game situations, I typically think, "Keep it up!"

His play on the ice is usually enough to silence any haters.

However, the most recent scenario with the Penguins heading over to the Bell Centre to play Games Three and Four in the Conference Semi-Finals has caused quite a ruckus that has me and many fans scratching our heads.

Why is Crosby getting booed just months from being Canada's Golden Boy when he scored the game-winning, overtime goal against the Americans in the Vancouver Olympics?

It really isn't making much sense.

Obviously, we're in a different situation now. The playoffs are a heated time for both NHL teams and their respective fan bases.

At no point should anyone expect any kind of kindness from the opposition.

But that isn't the case.

Playing in their home turf for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, the Canadian Men's Hockey team had the pressure and expectations of a country in order to win gold. Anything less would have been a complete and utter failure.

All eyes immediately turned to Crosby to lead the way, along with the fresh and veteran talent that made up the rest of the Canadian squad.

As an American, my prayers were going to Team USA to pull the upset over the Canadians.

Alas, I watched as the captain of Penguins broke the hearts of Americans when the puck went past American goalie Ryan Miller to seal the gold.

But that goal didn't hurt as badly as I thought it would. In fact, I was proud to be a Pens fan and watched the medal ceremony with a very small smile, despite wanting nothing more than for a result that would send Canadian fans into a national state of mourning just moments before.

The way Crosby was exonerated following the golden goal was something to behold and something, deep down, every single Pens fan was proud to see simply because we love our captain.

Again, I didn't expect to see any of this when Crosby returned to Canada for the second time in the playoffs to duke it out against his childhood team.

But I did expect some respect.

Crosby has done nothing but make Canada proud since the time he could skate. His attitude, work ethic, and desire for success has made him the face of hockey across Canada and from what I understood, Canadians were proud that Crosby came from the northern lands.

If that was truly the case, then why would Canadiens fans be so persistent in showing their dislike for him ?

True, Crosby's a Penguin, and no Canadiens fan would be caught dead appreciating Crosby now.

I think just about everyone understands that.

But does suiting for the other team warrant the shower of hate Crosby's received from Canadian fans after giving them one of the greatest moments in Canadian hockey history?

No, it doesn't.

I know many Montreal fans or even Canadian fans in general are going to say that I don't get it, I'm an American that isn't surrounded by the hockey hype that is a constant presence in Canada.

That may be true, but last I checked, doing this doesn't make you look like a loyal fan.

Take away the Team Canada jersey or the Penguins jersey and you still have Sidney Crosby, a fantastic hockey player that has brought joy and excitement to the NHL upon his arrival.

You still have the young superstar who hasn't gotten himself into trouble through sex scandals or anything of the like, but has rather lead a low-key lifestyle that makes him a safe role model for kids.

That's the person Canada should have been cheering for when he threw his gloves into the air in celebration when he ended the gold medal game.

He hasn't changed (from our vantage point) because he's wearing another jersey.

I'm truly appalled at the behavior of the Canadiens fans and how willing they are to turn the cheek on all that Crosby has done for Canada for the sake of "team loyalty."

Whether that behavior is accepted in Canada means little to me, but it says a lot about the sportsmanship in one of hockey's greatest cities.

One last time, I'm not asking for a standing ovation from the crowd when Crosby steps foot on the ice or any sort of actual care for him.

I have mentioned that I'm asking for respect, but I'm also asking for consistency.

You don't go from kissing a player's feet to booing him every time he touches the puck.

That's not how you treat someone like Crosby.

But for Crosby, I guess it just comes with being the best. People are going to hate you no matter what happens.

I'm just glad that he's a Penguin.