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Was it criminal of the Pittsburgh Penguins to go without a shot for almost two full periods Monday night, yet still take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators?

Maybe.

Was it criminal of the Predators fan to, as was showcased on prime-time TV to cap off Memorial Day, hurl a catfish onto the ice during the opener of the championship series?

Definitely, according to Pittsburgh police.

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Game 1's catfish went from one fan's shorts onto the PPG Paints Arena ice in a hurry. USATSI

In a police reports from Monday's game, when 26-year-old Jacob Waddell apparently vacuum sealed a catfish and then hid it in his compression shorts before tossing it over the glass and onto the ice in the second period, The Tennesseean details three charges filed against the fish thrower, including "possession of an instrument of a crime."

Shortly after the charges became public Tuesday morning, legions of Nashvillians pledged to help Waddell. 

Several Metro Nashville council members took to Twitter in his support. There was even an offer of free legal help.

Councilman Freddie O'Connell said he's asked the Metro Council office to draft a resolution requesting that Allegheny County, Pa, where Waddell was charged, pardon him.

Meanwhile, Waddell doesn't seem frightened by the charges, standing by his decision to sling the fish in his own Twitter posts.

The Pittsburgh fish throwing, which prompted a quick shoveling of a cleanup less than two hours into Monday's game, upheld a Nashville tradition that has dated to early-2000s Predators playoff games -- a tradition reminiscent of the longtime octopus-throwing stunts started in Detroit in the 1950s.

And it drew the ire of PETA, which on Tuesday issued a letter to the Pittsburgh Penguins and a separate statement to CBS Sports condemning the use of fish as "hockey props."

Whether catfish or cat, it's never acceptable to toss any sensitive, intelligent animal's body onto the ice during a hockey game. PETA appreciates PPG Paints Arena's swift action to eject the fan and have him charged with several crimes, which will remind all sports fans that this offensive behavior will not be tolerated. We trust that all NHL arenas will follow suit.