Thoughts on Ovechkin/Crosby

It became evident during the NHL awards ceremony last Thursday in Las Vegas...the rivalry between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby is rapidly becoming this generation's hockey version of Russell-Chamberlain.

Ovechkin picked up his second consecutive Hart Trophy as the league's MVP (and best overall player).

Crosby did not stand as a victor of any lesser piece of metal, but had his day with the Stanley Cup on June 12.

Ovechkin has a slight overall points edge (420 to 397) to Crosby, and has been named to more post-season all-star selections over their first four years - including 2009 when Crosby didn't even appear on the first or second teams.

Crosby has been surrounded by better players, and hasn't had to outshine the rest to singlehandedly dominate other clubs.

The Penguins have held a strange dominance in playoff matchups with the Capitals, winning seven of eight tries; rebounding from 3-1 series deficits twice, and winning three Game 7's in America's capital among those seven series triumphs.

The parallels are beginning to be laid out in eerie fashion, although the final analysis won't be complete until both men hang up the skates.

Still, it's clear that Crosby and the Pens fill the role of the Celtics and Ovechkin and his Caps seem doomed to play the second-fiddle 76ers. Which means, JUST ONCE, the Caps will have their day while the Pens build consistent winners around the one road block.

This kind of thing has happened before to lesser degrees throughout NHL history: first with the post-50's dynasty Red Wings falling prey continually to the surging Canadiens and Maple Leafs in the 60's as Gordie Howe got older, then with the Bruins of the 70's never able to beat the Bowman-era Canadiens, next as the gritty Flyers of the 80's couldn't eclipse the Oilers' Hall-of-Fame lineups.

On a personal level, you can also read the Gretzky-Lemieux axis of the 80's and 90's in a similar way - Gretz came first and reshaped league history, then Mario followed and the hockey gods seemed to have a huge hand in keeping 66 perpetually second to 99even though Lemieux was a better player overall and had to shoulder a burden by himself for a number of years.

Of course, that story had a semi-happy ending as though the Oilers won four Cups with The Great One, the Pens won twice before fate threw a monkey wrench into the works.

If anything can be said from a supposed neutral writer's perspective, both Crosby and Ovechkin are needed, and are needed to do what they uniquely do to re-shape the league into what it was from roughly 1975-96.

However, from a personal rivalry standpoint which fuels partisanship, Ovechkin clearly takes the cake.

Aside from his wrecking-ball-sized passion every shift (which threatens to take down opposing players and his own teammates, he possesses infinitely more charm and takes himself far less seriously than does Crosby.

He's making throat-slitting gestures at 87 during nationally-televised games and feuding with fellow Russian Malkin, but he's not out of line or crossing lines of taste when doing so...He's making nice with other Washington sports legends and other current stars in other sports like Bron-Bron...He's living the immigrant's dream of being adored for playing a kid's game and treats it all like such.

Conversely, there's ample personal and video evidence that Crosby has little respect for anything outside his own personal circle of influence.

The whining to the refs from Game One of his rookie year...The taint punch against Atlanta this year...the pummeling of Brett McLean during a blowout loss this year...The complaining to the refs in the Washington series that the game was being delayed because home fans greeted Ovie's hat trick with - gasp! - hats...The refusal to stay in line and shake every Red Wings' hand a couple weeks ago...I hope the list doesn't go further than this but it clearly will in successive years.

It's sad, because in previous generations, the worst we had to say about Lemieux is that he shouldn't whine so much because he was 6-4, 230 and could take care of himself. We were in respectful awe of his talent and his perseverance, though, and left the derisive whistles and vulgar chants for Jaromir Jagr.

Same thing for Gretzky. I think I once saw a Flyers fan with half a Gretzky doll whose bottom half was Barbie waist and legs, with a noose around it's neck. We wanted him to stop whining so much while surrounded with all the talent in the universe and goons to spare, but we feared and respected him every two-minute shift of his career.

Crosby, unfortunately, doesn't have the like or respect of many in the NHL, a significant portion of fans in the hockey-savvy cities, and perhaps not of all in his own locker room.

Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, with perhaps the quietest 36points I can remember from one player in a winning year. Maybe it's because he doesn't know English yet and hasn't cut his teeth doing anything else but playing, but he's all business when the skates are on.

He's the Bob Cousy to Crosby's Russell, the cool head against the raging spirit.

And what does Ovechkin have? Nothing yet. Nobody who really complements his style, who is of equal skill and draws some heat so he can freely do what he does best. Imagine if that were so...he'd be a threat to put up early-90's Brett Hull numbers without the wear and tear.

Wilt had Paul Arizin as a Warrior, then for one brilliant season the cast of the 1967championship in Philly. He found himself in the middle of Elgin Baylor and Jerry West as a Laker but only won once in three tries, done in by the better balanced Knicks on two occasions.

It may just be that the Capitals franchise is simply doomed, while the Penguins are charmed.

Think about it...one team is bailed out of bankruptcy not once but thrice, is saved from moving twice, manages to snag two players tagged The Next One roughly 20 years apart, and wins titles during crucial phases in the development of the city and the team itself.

The other got Dale Hunter.

So, please, wise lawyers who control the NHL, now that you've given the Steel City their title, let's start tilting the ice towards a silver chalice with some red, blue and white smudges.