It was the head seen all around the world, uniting two rival fan bases in the midst.
There were the Maple Leafs, trying to tie Game 6 to clinch the first-round series in front of their hometown crowd; the Bruins desperately clinging to a lead to preserve their Stanley Cup playoff livelihood.
And one fan’s head that ensured viewers at home Sunday didn’t catch a glimpse of it.
During the final frenetic minutes of the third period, a Leafs fan clad in blue came between the NBC cameras and the ice. Every Leafs chance to tie it — all futile, as the Bruins would win 4-2 — was obscured for viewers by the anonymous male’s dark locks.
“Technical difficulties prevented us from using the main game camera for a period of time towards the end of the game,’’ an NBC Sports spokesman told Boston.com. “The replacement camera had a slightly different perspective.”
The fan wasn’t waving to his buddies at home, and by all accounts, was unaware his head had a price on it.
And yet, as one Twitter user scoffed: “The back of the head of the Maple Leafs fan may be the most hated head in sports right now #NHLHockey.“