#360USA: Crosby vs. Ovechkin match-up long overdue

Steve Brenner 14:27 03/05/2016
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  • Rivals on ice: Ovechkin and Crosby.

    When it comes to rivalries, everyone craves seeing the very best players clash on the grandest of stages. Yet for the two of the biggest names to have graced the NHL this century, duels at the business end of the season have been unfortunately scarce.

    Canadian Sidney Crosby and Russian Alex Ovechkin have faced off in the Olympics. Their rivalry as wide-eyed youngsters shaped a determination to reach for the stars.

    Fighting it out for the cherished Stanley Cup in the playoffs however had seen just one meeting since 2009 until this year’s denouement placed these different yet similarly compelling, supremely skilled superstars in direct opposition.

    Washington Capitals ace Ovechkin is the best shooter in the league while Crosby, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, excels in playmaking and assists. That’s not to say there aren’t goals in him too – he scored 36 in regular season play – it’s just his control and handling of the puck thanks to prodigious hand skills simpy set him apart.

    “I’d say Crosby is hated more, “ said NHL aficionado Matt DeMazza. “He’s notorious for trying to goad opponents into penalties, complaining to refs, and diving to to get a penalty call on opponents.”

    They are Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on skates – but without the trophies to cement the legend. As Crosby’s Pirates began their seven-match series with Ovechkin’s Caps this week, it was tough to look beyond the narrative of two heroes locking horns.

    Forget Washington’s superb form which fired their postseason push. The Penguins recent run was also scorching. Even the purists though would struggle to look at nothing more than classic duel to the death: Sid v Ovi II – Finally it’s back.

    That last playoff meeting seven years ago preceded Crosby’s first and only Stanley Cup triumph. It was a memorable series – an unbelievable Game 2 saw both plunder trebles before Pittsburgh won through to the final and ultimate glory. They’ve not reached the finals since.

    Ovechkin outscored Crosby 14- 13 yet that barely eased the pain. The first two matches haven’t disappointed although the scriptwriters have been slow in producing the kind of blockbuster twists and turns the ice hockey nation are desperate to witness.

    Keeper Matt Murray was the Penguin’s hero on Saturday night as the Capitals were beaten 2-1 in their own backyard to square the series at 1-1.

    Ovechkin and Crosby’s careers in the NHL have been intrinsically linked since their entrance in 2005 – the year after a debilitating lockout. The league needed two fresh faces to boost the flagging spirits of a deflated fanbase.

    Crosby was the pride of Canada, all smiles and politeness yet a devil with stick in hand. Ovechkin, the Russian stereotype – hard hitting, hard shooting, no messing. Both have been supremely consistent, occupying the top two highest scorer slots since their first outings.

    Crosby has also shown the kind of grit and determination which sets legends apart from the mere mortals after recovering from almost two years out with concussion following a brutal blindside hit from Washington’s David Steckel in the 2011 Winter Classic. (Crosby’s nightmare unfolded in front of 68,000 at Heinz Field and the largest TV audience in 36 years – 4.57 million– to watch an NHL regular-season match.)

    “I think it brings out the best in both of us,” Crosby said of the rivalry. “There’s a lot made of it but I think at the same time we want to be at our best for our respective teams. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

    Crosby’s Canada thrashed Russia at the 2010 Winter Olympics before the Penguins skipper famously downed the USA in the final. Later that year, Ovechkin suffered World Championship heartbreak as the dream slipped away to the Czech Republic.

    And last year in the same tournament, it was Crosby’s night once again. Russia were destroyed 6-1 to allow the 28-year-old to become the 26th member of the Triple Gold Club — a select band who have won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and a World Championship.

    Ovechkin may have conquered the world three times but Crosby’s two Olympic gold’s and the Stanley Cup surely set his achievements apart.

    The hype machine may already be whirring yet one thing is certain: The Russian Machine won’t go down without a fight – and the Kid from Novia Scotia knows it.

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