New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba is not a popular figure in Pittsburgh right now after a big hit on Sidney Crosby saw the Penguins captain removed from Game 5 in the second period. While Penguins fans were furious over the hit, the NHL saw nothing wrong with Trouba's actions, and will not be fining or suspending him. Speaking on the hit, the Rangers' defender called it a “fluky play” and made clear he had no intention of injuring Crosby, via Vince Mercogliano.

During the second period, Trouba leveled Crosby with a massive hit to the head. Explaining what went down, Trouba claims that his stick got stuck between Crosby's legs, which resulted in the two of them getting tangled up and the Rangers' defenseman catching the Penguins' captain in the head with his elbow.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan wasn't too happy about the hit, though he wouldn't comment on whether he felt Trouba deserved to be disciplined.

Ultimately the NHL didn't find anything overly dirty or intentional about Trouba's hit, and upon inspection of the replay, it appears the 28-year-old is being truthful about what went down in the moments leading up to the hit.

Still, shortly after Crosby exited the game, the Rangers managed to score three goals in less than three minutes, jumping out to a 3-2 lead and eventually winning 5-3. It was a huge turning point in the outcome of the game, and one which was not met without controversy from fans.

The Penguins revealed Crosby is dealing with an upper-body injury and is being further evaluated in Pittsburgh ahead of Game 6, when the Pens will look to clinch the series against the Rangers at home