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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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1. Dueling Hat Tricks

Alex Ovechkin has scored over 500 goals. Sidney Crosby has won two Stanley Cups. However, no game they have played or will play will match what they did on May 4, 2009. The Capitals and Penguins opened their series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Both captains came out firing and got hat tricks in their first postseason game against each other. Between the two players, they have three hat tricks against each other. Two of them came in this game (the other one being in the previous slide).

However, it was Ovechkin who came out on top. Crosby scored early in the first period to give the Penguins the lead. Ovechkin matched him with a goal of his own early in the second period. Midway through the second period, Crosby got his second goal of the game. At this point, the song “Anything you can do I can do better” started popping in everyone’s head. Ovechkin answered the bell with a third period goal. He later put an exclamation point on his evening with the game winning goal with under five minutes left in the game.

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Crosby, however, wasn’t quite done. With under a minute left, he cemented this game in history with his third goal of the night. It’s funny. Ovechkin and Crosby bring out the best in each other. They almost have a Batman and Joker relationship. Sure, Ovechkin and Crosby don’t like each other on the ice. But at the end of the day, they sort of need each other. And the two players have a mutual respect for each other. Appreciate Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby while you can because they won’t be around forever. And who knows when we’ll see another rivalry this terrific.

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