Steve Downie Doing What He Does Best

Steve Downie has a less-than-stellar reputation in hockey circles, and it's a reputation that's been well-earned since being selected in the first round of the 2005 NHL draft.

Twice in his professional career he's been issued suspensions of 20 games (once for a vicious late hit on Dean McAmmond, the other for slashing a linesman during a face-off in the minors) and has been involved in countless other questionable incidents.

While he's been on his best behavior for much of the 2009-10 season, even putting together a career year playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis, he proved, once again, on Sunday why he has the reputation that he has. And why he's earned it.

Early in the first period of Tampa Bay's game with Pittsburgh, Downie found himself trailing Sidney Crosby along the boards, and long after Crosby passed the puck, Downie took him down from behind with an ugly slew foot-like maneuver.

The human leg is not supposed to bend that way. The penalty? A two-minute minor for roughing. As nasty as it looked, Crosby was able to return to the game -- a 2-1 Pittsburgh win -- without missing a shift.

Just more footage for Colin Campbell to review in the coming days. It should be interesting to see how he handles all of Sunday's incidents in the wake of his decision to not suspend Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke last week.

I have a feeling his popularity might reach an all-time low this week. Which is really saying something.