Top 5 Moments in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin's Rivalry

With the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals captains meeting for the 70th time in the regular season, we look back on some of the best moments in their storied rivalry.

Apr 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) talks with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) as repairs are made to the ice surface in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The NHL was saved when the Washington Capitals drafted Alex Ovechkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sidney Crosby. The NBA had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 80's and 90's and the NFL had Peyton Manning and Tom Brady dueling it out in the 2000's, but the NHL never had that dynamic individual rivalry until Ovi and Crosby debuted.

Nearly 20 years later, the Capitals and Penguins are still led by their superstar captains and they will meet for the 70th time in the regular season in an upcoming contest. With these two future Hall of Famers set to battle again, let's take a look back at some of the best moments in their historic rivalry.

5. The First Meeting

Let's flashback to November 22, 2005. The NHL's hottest rookies are meeting for the first time. 18-year-old Sidney Crosby nets a goal and an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Caps. Ovechkin records an assist in the defeat. It wasn't a highlight filled affair, but it made it abundantly clear that the NHL was in the hands of these two young superstars.

4. Snovechkin

In 2010, the Pens and Caps were set to meet on Super Bowl Sunday. A severe snowstorm grounded the Penguins' flight, forcing them to take a bus to Washington D.C. for the matchup.

No matter for the Penguins, as they generated a three goal lead early into the game. But then Ovechkin earned the moniker of "Snovechkin" for his heroic performance to pull the Caps to victory.

After falling behind 4-1, Ovi led the comeback charge by recording a hat trick of his own. In the overtime period, he'd add his fourth point of the night by setting up winger Mike Knuble for the game-winner. It was one of Ovi's best games and of course it came against his biggest rival in the league.

3. 2010 Olympics

Not only have Sid and Ovi battled for NHL supremacy, they've squared off in international play as well. The two were in the same World Junior Championship tournament in 2004, but never faced off as Crosby and Canada captured gold. But they would go toe-to-toe in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the games that would be defined by Crosby's gold medal-winning goal against the United States.

While it wasn't Canada vs. Russia for the gold medal, the anticipation was palpable before the tournament began. The entire world wanted to see these two countries play due to their superstar lineups.

The two sides met in the quarterfinals, and it ended poorly for Ovechkin and the Russian team. Canada squashed them by a score of 7-3, but it was the fact that the game's biggest names finally had the world stage everyone hoped for that really made this a memorable moment.

2. 2023 NHL All-Star Game

For as heated as this rivalry has been over the last two decades, the mutual respect and admiration these players share for one another is an incredible thing to witness. There have been a few occassions where the two stars have played together on an NHL All-Star team, and it's been a treat for fans each time.

In 2023, the two played together on a line for the Metropolitan Division team. Taking on the Atlantic Division squad, the two teamed up for a tic-tac-toe goal. It might not be the highlight-reel goal that these two usually recorded, but to see them team up is one of the most special moments in their history together.

1. Dueling Hat Tricks

The postseason battles between Crosby and Ovechkin are a huge part of their respective legacies. Each of the four times they have met in the playoffs, the winner of the series went on to win the Stanley Cup.

The first meeting in 2009 was nearly five years in the making, with an incredible amount of anticipation. During game two of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals matchup, Crosby and Ovechkin each netted hat tricks in spectacular fashion. Ovi would one-up Crosby in this contest, with his third goal counting as the game winner and giving his team a 2-0 lead in the series. Sid would get the last laugh in this series, winning in seven games and going on to capture his first Stanley Cup, but this game might go down as one of the most incredible postseason games of the Salary Cap Era.

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