Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are without a doubt the collective face of the NHL. They are its knights in shining armour, it's saving grace, and they are freakishly good. With that in mind, I've always been a bit disappointed when watching games between these two. Although the talent was definitely there, it was still missing something... an animosity, or a rivalry of sorts that would naturally exist between the two most electrifying players in the game. I just didn't see it, and I was disappointed at how gentlemanly the two were towards each other. I admire hockey exactly because of the classiness of its players, but I secretly wanted to see the cups brim over between these two.
I'm now satsified to say a new era has begun... The Crosby-Ovie fight is on!!!! I was so excited about two weeks ago when the two got into a scrapping match in front of the Capitals bench. In the end, Ovie was just being Ovie, which we like to see. And Crosby let down his guard, also nice to see. No blood was spilt, no harm done, but the animosity was definitely there, and it's nice to see the passion out there.
When the two entered the league, there was a lot of debate over who was better. I couldn't really say then, but after three years I feel I have a better handle on the two and how they've matured... and I must say... Do I have to choose? Both these players are POLAR opposites of each other and I find it impossible to compare them. Can't I just take both? Let's look at both and see if I'm making sense here.
Sidney Crosby has been under the limelight since he was 15 years old. He has lived most of his teens with the label of "Next One", bestowed upon him by none other than The Great One himself. Pressure? Um, yeah. Not only that, but he's from Canada. Essentially, this kid has the weight of the whole hockey world on his shoulders. Even Ovechkin doesn't have that. And one of my favorite qualities about Sid is he
embraces the role, even though he didn't ask for it. He not only carries the weight of the hockey world, but the weight of his own team on his back, and he never complains. Player-wise, he has perhaps the best vision in the game - his passes are crisp and he sees plays develop ahead of time. He makes unreal passes that nobody would ever in their right mind think of. He's a Michael Jordan in that he makes everyone around him play better. Case in point? Look at Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz's point totals since coming over to the Pens at the trade deadline. Crosby is strong, fast, and as he's proved this year, not afraid to get his nose a little dirty. He's the complete package. In terms of attitude, this is the kind of guy that dads hope their girls marry. He's humble, soft spoken (at least off the ice), and a consumate gentleman. The Penguins, despite the fact he was still a teenager, almost couldn't wait to hand him the captaincy, and he has filled the role with a quiet humility and dignity typical of the great leaders of the game. He is a fantastic role model to youngsters, and a class act on and off the ice. We are big Sid fans here.
Then there's Alexander Ovechkin. Personified by stringy, unkept hair and a gap-toothed smile, the Russian winger has become the greatest marketing tool the NHL could ask for. He's funny, charming, boisterous, and any other synonym you can think of for "crazy." The guy is an absolute nut. His costume show at the all-star game was absolutely what the event needed. What I love about this guy is his balls-to-the-wall enthusiasm for the game. He's scored countless goals over his lifetime, yet every time he gets one he acts like it's his first. My particular favorite goal celebration is the classic jump up into the air, turn in mid-air, and slam into the glass back-first. Classic Ovie. What's great about Ovie though, is he gets just as excited when his teammates score, usually the first one to get to the other player with offers of a gap-toothed, enthusiastic embrace. He's an awesome player, and a great ambassador for the sport.
In the end, Crosby and Ovie are completely opposite players. Crosby is pass-first, while Ovie has led the league in shots for almost his whole career. Both can hit and play physical, though Ovie is usually a little more flashy. Crosby is the natural leader, Ovie the natural performer. Either way, they're both great for the game and will be for a long time. Long live the kings!
itz has been an integral part of the Ducks and was seen as a franchise cornerstone. But the emergence of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, coupled with a drop in Kunitz's play this season, has reduced his role with the Ducks. Pittsburgh has been longing all season for a winger who can keep up with Crosby and/or Malkin, and I'm not sure if Kunitz will be that guy. Right now, he doesn't seem much more effective than the Pens already average set of wingers (Sykora, Satan, Fedotenko, Dupuis, etc.) who can be good at times, and invisible at others. Here's hoping for the best.
make some moves and bring up some players prematurely. As players have become healthy, the Pens found themselves in a logjam at defense. Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang have established themselves as the go-to guys on the powerplay (actually, Gonchar's the go-to guy for just about anything), and Brooks Orpik and Hal Gill are better-than-average stay-at-home defensemen. In essence, Whitney, who was having a so-so year to begin with, suddenly became expendable. He's still young and very talented, and could make a long-term difference on the Ducks blueline, which is only getting older. Don't forget, Whitney's only 26.
