Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry with Penguins, Capitals remains 'great for hockey'

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby enjoys stability.

Alex Ovechkin provides it.

They were tied together when each No. 1 NHL Draft pick debuted in 2005. Two decades later, nothing has changed.

Crosby, the 38-year-old captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, against Ovechkin, his 40-year-old counterpart with the Washington Capitals, is one of most decorated individual rivalries in NHL history.

"I think it's great," Crosby said Wednesday. "It was great when we first started playing against each other as far as just the rivalry and bringing the best out of everyone. I think it was great for hockey and still is."

The next chapter is Thursday, when the Penguins welcome the Capitals to PPG Paints Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN) for Crosby and Ovechkin's 99th meeting in the regular season or Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nostalgia won't define it. Each team could use a win.

Ovechkin, whose 900 goals are the most in NHL history, had two in 12 games this season and was without a point in four straight losses (0-3-1) before reaching the milestone in a 6-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Washington (7-5-1) is tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for fourth in the Metropolitan Division after winning it last season at 51-22-9.

"Even if he doesn't have the start he wants, it's still probably their most dangerous guy out there," Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said. "That shot, you can't sleep on it. If you give him too much room, he's going to make you pay."

Crosby, on the other hand, has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 14 games, helping the Penguins (8-4-2) to a strong start after missing the playoffs the past three seasons.

There's been a dip recently, though. They lost 5-2 at the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday and blew a three-goal lead in the third period of a 4-3 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

"Hopefully, the little bit of adversity is good for us," Crosby said. "I think we've been a team that probably hasn't had the highest expectations to start the year, and I think that we've played hard as a group and competed for one another regardless of the lines and the lineup and who's in, who's out.

"I think that we've continued just to play through all that, so that's more important now than ever and, like I said, I'm sure this is something that could bring us together."

At 1,704 points (634 goals, 1070 assists) in 1,366 games, Crosby is the ninth player in League history to have at least 1,700 and is 19 points from tying Mario Lemieux for the most with the Penguins.

If anyone should be able to comprehend Ovechkin's goal total, it's Crosby. Yet even he can't.

"I mean, I wouldn't know," Crosby said, "but it's something that, I said when he got the record that I think a lot of people, myself, probably him included, thought that would be pretty difficult to get that many goals. But he's just continued to find ways year after year.

"And to be that consistent and that productive is pretty hard to even fathom, so I think, yeah, it's a credit to him and just his consistency and his ability to find ways to score goals."

Head-to-head, Crosby has the edge with 95 points (33 goals, 62 assists) to Ovechkin's 68 points (38 goals, 30 assists) in 73 regular-season games. Pittsburgh is 42-27-4.

The Penguins have taken three of four postseason series. The winner eventually lifted the Stanley Cup each time (Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017; Washington in 2018).

Bryan Rust, often on the first line with Crosby, has been part of it since 2014.

"I mean, I'm trying to fully embrace it," Rust said. "I'll be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it and see it all, I think, when I look back on my career and say, 'Hey, I played in this era, not only with some of the greatest players of all-time, if not the greatest player by some people's account, but played against the greatest goal-scorer of all-time.'

"They had a rivalry kind of like no other between them, between their teams and I think being a part of it, especially those playoff series has been super cool, like even before I got here. ... You see all these guys take over the League and then you become a part of it. ... It becomes really special."

Ben Kindel will be the other first-line wing with Crosby on Thursday. Putting it into perspective, the 18-year-old was born April 19, 2007, when Crosby and Ovechkin were each in their second season.

"I think that's something that it's rare that you come in when we did, at the same time," Crosby said, "and that you have playoff series and [are in the] same division, that sort of thing. So, the way it's worked out has been pretty unique that way, but yeah, I think that's something that we all appreciate."