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Crosby vs. Ovechkin: 5 times their rivalry was everything to hockey fans

By Dave Stevenson

Oct 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shakes hands with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during a ceremonial puck drop prior to their game at Verizon Center. The Penguins won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shakes hands with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during a ceremonial puck drop prior to their game at Verizon Center. The Penguins won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here are the five best moments from the Alex Ovechkin versus Sidney Crosby rivalry. 

Generational stars are pretty rare in the NHL. Rarely do you see two of them get to face each other on a regular basis. That’s why the rivalry between Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is so special. In the regular season, they’ve faced each other 39 times. Quite impressive once you consider Crosby missed a good portion of two seasons with injuries. Additionally, they’ve squared off 13 times during the postseason, with each game more exciting than the previous one.

The debate rages on about who’s better. While Sidney Crosby might be the best player in the world, Ovechkin has zero peers as far as goal scoring. Not even Crosby. His ability to score in an era defined by excellent goaltenders is outstanding. And Ovechkin keeps on doing it year after year. At the end of the day, goals win games, so scoring goals is incredibly important.

They will be squaring off for the 40th time on Wednesday. History could be made, as Ovechkin is one point away from 1,000 career points and is tied with Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard in career goals. If their past is any hint of what’s to come, something incredible’s going to happen. Here are five times Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby rocked our world.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Their Rookie Seasons

Thanks to the 2004-05 lockout, Ovechkin and Crosby both debuted during the 2005-06 season. Immediately, both players proved to be elite players. Ovi had a year of maturity over Crosby and it showed. He won the Calder Trophy after scoring 52 goals and putting up 106 points. Crosby wasn’t too far behind with 102 points. In their first meeting in the NHL, Sid The Kid came out on top with a goal and an assist while Ovechkin got an assist.

We rarely see rookies dominate right off the bat and immediately enter the “best player in the league” conversation. This proves how special both Crosby and Ovechkin are.

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