Washington Capitals Mailbag: Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Crosby Vs. Ovechkin, Johansson
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Eternal Debate
This one comes from Michael.
"Who would you rather have on your team: Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin?"
Figured this question was going to happen eventually. The eternal debate is back. Ovechkin and Crosby’s rivalry goes way back to their teenage years. The Washington Capitals got Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Draft. The Penguins got Crosby in the 2005 NHL Draft. They were both first overall picks.
I think that they are both generational talents. Rarely does the NHL have two guys who are as excellent at what they do than the Washington Capitals captain and the Pittsburgh Penguins captain. They have both been historically good so far. They are both going to end up in the Hall of Fame whenever their careers end.
I’ll take Ovechkin over Crosby. This is not a slight to Crosby. He’s an incredible player. He’s the best passer I’ve ever seen (keep in mind I never got to see Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux in their primes since I started watching hockey in 1994). He elevates the play of everyone around him. He has turned guys like Chris Kunitz into all-star players. You don’t do that unless you’re a pretty freaking special player. Combined with his goal scoring, Crosby is about as dangerous as they come.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is a completely different animal. Let’s face it. Goals are more valuable and meaningful than assists. There’s an award given to the guy who gets the most goals. There’s no award given to the player who gets the most assists. Ovechkin is so much better at his craft than everybody else, it’s ludicrous.
I’d be happy with either of the two captains. Give me Ovechkin over Crosby though. I could easily understand an argument for Crosby. There is no wrong answer to this eternal debate. Let’s stop hating these two superstars and appreciate them because they aren’t going to be around forever.
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