The Water Bottle Spring

By now, you’ve read the TMZ report in which a Kings fan filed a complaint against Corey Crawford, who allegedly sprayed the “victim” from his water bottle after being subjected to heckling late in Game 4.

“I just heard about it on my way over. First I heard of it,” Joel Quenneville said in response to TMZ’s report.

“I’m not worried about it right now. I’m worrying about the game.”

Though this has made the rounds via social media and sports websites, a fan getting sprayed by a water bottle isn’t exactly breaking news. Hecklers and those sitting near the benches and penalty boxes have been sprayed in the past, and there are frequently exchanges near the tunnels that connect the benches to the locker room. It happens at every level.

Still, due to the incidents involving Corey Perry, Henrik Lundqvist and Shawn Thornton, it does appear as though for whatever reason this postseason has evolved into The Water Bottle Spring.

Dwight King, on whether players are routinely heckled:
I’m sure, yeah. Some guys probably do. Goalie is a little different because you’re in one position the whole game. As a player, the only time you really get heckled is if you go to the penalty box or else if you’re near one of the ends of the players’ bench.

King, on whether he is heckled in Chicago:
I haven’t noticed anything. I personally can’t say that. [Reporter: You are focused on the game. You’re not paying much attention to the fans.] That’s one of those things where if you’re focused and doing well, you wouldn’t notice.

::menacing music:: pic.twitter.com/KmyOwXLmyj

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) May 28, 2014