Latest chapter of Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry a special one
JOE SARGENT / GETTY
Alex Ovechkin salutes PPG Paints Arena in the first period.
The scene at the first TV timeout here at PPG Paints Arena during the Penguins' season finale was something that would have been inconceivable say, 15 years ago.
The Penguins ran a really, really well-made video honoring Alex Ovechkin for recently surpassing Wayne Gretzky to become the league's new all-time leading goal-scorer. The video was a montage of highlights from both the Penguins and Capitals during the rivalry over the last 20 years, naturally with a ton of Ovechkin goals mixed in.
Ovechkin sat on the boards in front of the Capitals' bench, taking it in. When the video ended, the players on either bench rose to their feet and tapped their sticks in recognition as the crowd rose too to give Ovechkin a standing ovation.
Seeing the warm reaction from the fans, Ovechkin skated to center ice and saluted the crowd as chants of "OV-I! OV-I" broke out.
Yeah, there was a fair share of Capitals fans in attendance. But the whole crowd was on their feet, and the chanting was loud. These were Penguins fans ... in Pittsburgh ... applauding Ovechkin.
At least for the fans, this was a real rivalry for a long time, one that got heated and was at times full of hatred. But over the years, it's really grown into just a real respect on both sides of the fanbase for the two stars at the center in Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
And that's the case for Ovechkin and Crosby themselves when it comes to each other.
"Obviously, the first couple years it was a battle," Ovechkin said Thursday morning of his relationship with Crosby. "We don't know each other. But then we have All-Star Games, we spend time together. And, you know, we start to respect more and more on the ice and off the ice, too."
Shortly before Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 to pass Gretzky, another impossible Gretzky record was broken: Crosby clinched his 20th point-per-game season, surpassing Gretzky for the most in league history.
Crosby and Ovechkin came into this league with lofty expectations and a lot of responsibility in growing the league as it came out of the 2004-05 lockout. Both of them have far exceeded what anyone could have anticipated for their careers, and now two decades in, they're continuing to lead the way.
"We already beat the Great One," Ovechkin said. "I think it just shows how when we came to the league, it was one hockey game, right? It was a different system. It was a different style of game. And two decades we transform ourselves to stay in the same level and show that, yeah, we're pretty good players."
And of course, the Crosby-Ovechkin show was again one of the main draws in this regular-season finale. Crosby set up the Penguins' second goal, a power-play goal by Bryan Rust in the second period. He netted one of his own minutes later to make it 3-1:
Ovechkin answered. It came on the power play, and at his office at the left circle:
There are players on either team who grew up with this rivalry. Vasily Ponomarev was three years old when Crosby and Ovechkin began their rookie seasons. He was only seven for one of the best moments of the rivalry, the dueling hat tricks in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. He followed along from back in Russia, and contrary to what one might think, he wasn't rooting for his countryman, either. He's always been a big Crosby fan. Now, to get to see the latest chapter of the "rivalry" up close, and be on the side of his idol?
"It's actually unbelievable," Ponomarev told me of what it was like to just watch from the bench for this game. "Then Sully tells you that you're going next, and you're like, 'HEY! I've got to sit.' It feels unbelievable. Like, you can't believe that it's actually happening in your life."
That reaction isn't just limited to starstruck rookies. Mike Sullivan, too, just feels grateful to be a witness to it all.
"They're two of the greatest players of all time," he said. "How fortunate are we that we get to see it up close, and have for how many years now?"
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin met up with Ovechkin after the game, and presented him with the gift of a new Rolex to congratulate him on the goal record:
That wasn't a "goodbye," gift. Ovechkin has one more season left on his contract. Still, he was asked Thursday about the importance of playing "one more time" against Crosby, as if it might be the last time. But Ovechkin hinted at more chapters to the rivalry still to come.
"I'm not retire yet, so ..."
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
6:14 am - 04.18.2025UptownLatest chapter of Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry a special one
JOE SARGENT / GETTY
Alex Ovechkin salutes PPG Paints Arena in the first period.
The scene at the first TV timeout here at PPG Paints Arena during the Penguins' season finale was something that would have been inconceivable say, 15 years ago.
The Penguins ran a really, really well-made video honoring Alex Ovechkin for recently surpassing Wayne Gretzky to become the league's new all-time leading goal-scorer. The video was a montage of highlights from both the Penguins and Capitals during the rivalry over the last 20 years, naturally with a ton of Ovechkin goals mixed in.
Ovechkin sat on the boards in front of the Capitals' bench, taking it in. When the video ended, the players on either bench rose to their feet and tapped their sticks in recognition as the crowd rose too to give Ovechkin a standing ovation.
Seeing the warm reaction from the fans, Ovechkin skated to center ice and saluted the crowd as chants of "OV-I! OV-I" broke out.
Yeah, there was a fair share of Capitals fans in attendance. But the whole crowd was on their feet, and the chanting was loud. These were Penguins fans ... in Pittsburgh ... applauding Ovechkin.
At least for the fans, this was a real rivalry for a long time, one that got heated and was at times full of hatred. But over the years, it's really grown into just a real respect on both sides of the fanbase for the two stars at the center in Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
And that's the case for Ovechkin and Crosby themselves when it comes to each other.
"Obviously, the first couple years it was a battle," Ovechkin said Thursday morning of his relationship with Crosby. "We don't know each other. But then we have All-Star Games, we spend time together. And, you know, we start to respect more and more on the ice and off the ice, too."
Shortly before Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 to pass Gretzky, another impossible Gretzky record was broken: Crosby clinched his 20th point-per-game season, surpassing Gretzky for the most in league history.
Crosby and Ovechkin came into this league with lofty expectations and a lot of responsibility in growing the league as it came out of the 2004-05 lockout. Both of them have far exceeded what anyone could have anticipated for their careers, and now two decades in, they're continuing to lead the way.
"We already beat the Great One," Ovechkin said. "I think it just shows how when we came to the league, it was one hockey game, right? It was a different system. It was a different style of game. And two decades we transform ourselves to stay in the same level and show that, yeah, we're pretty good players."
And of course, the Crosby-Ovechkin show was again one of the main draws in this regular-season finale. Crosby set up the Penguins' second goal, a power-play goal by Bryan Rust in the second period. He netted one of his own minutes later to make it 3-1:
Ovechkin answered. It came on the power play, and at his office at the left circle:
There are players on either team who grew up with this rivalry. Vasily Ponomarev was three years old when Crosby and Ovechkin began their rookie seasons. He was only seven for one of the best moments of the rivalry, the dueling hat tricks in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. He followed along from back in Russia, and contrary to what one might think, he wasn't rooting for his countryman, either. He's always been a big Crosby fan. Now, to get to see the latest chapter of the "rivalry" up close, and be on the side of his idol?
"It's actually unbelievable," Ponomarev told me of what it was like to just watch from the bench for this game. "Then Sully tells you that you're going next, and you're like, 'HEY! I've got to sit.' It feels unbelievable. Like, you can't believe that it's actually happening in your life."
That reaction isn't just limited to starstruck rookies. Mike Sullivan, too, just feels grateful to be a witness to it all.
"They're two of the greatest players of all time," he said. "How fortunate are we that we get to see it up close, and have for how many years now?"
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin met up with Ovechkin after the game, and presented him with the gift of a new Rolex to congratulate him on the goal record:
That wasn't a "goodbye," gift. Ovechkin has one more season left on his contract. Still, he was asked Thursday about the importance of playing "one more time" against Crosby, as if it might be the last time. But Ovechkin hinted at more chapters to the rivalry still to come.
"I'm not retire yet, so ..."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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