All hockey fans must know in their mind who they would rather have on their team between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. This topic has been brought up before, but I want to know what all of you fans out there honestly think.
When asking this question, there is so much to consider. Of course, every aspect of the game counts, but who is really the best player OVERALL? Let's quickly discuss each aspect of the game and who is better in which one because it will truly show who is a better hockey player to have on your team.
The most important part about hockey as a forward is scoring goals and setting up pretty plays. I have no doubt that Ovechkin is a far superior goal scorer than Crosby.
The stats don't lie when they say Ovechkin has 194 goals in 299 career games compared to Crosby's 119 goals in 263 games. A little side note to add to the goal comparison is the fact that Ovechkin has taken 1,586 shots in his career compared to Sid's 853.
On the other hand, Crosby is not known for scoring, but for his ability to set up plays and get those assists. Crosby has 243 assists in 263 career games and Ovechkin has 176 assists in 299 games.
The linemates and who these players play with matters as well. Crosby doesn't always play with Malkin, but for the most part, he does. Especially on the power play, Crosby has Malkin, Sykora, Satan, Staal, and add Hossa from last year. All those players can put the puck in the net when they need to.
Ovechkin has Alexander Semin and Niklas Backstrom to give the puck to. Semin can score, but Backstrom isn't noted for putting the puck in the net that often. If Backstrom won the Calder last year, he best have mentioned Alexander Ovechkin in his "Thank You" list.
Honestly, you can put Brent Sopel on a line with Ovechkin and he'll rack up 50+ assists in a season and that is really saying something because Sopel is awful.
This is what makes Ovechkin such a force. He makes his linemates better by playing with them. Don't get me wrong, Crosby does too, but I don't see him getting lower skilled players any goals.
We need to get more in depth though when thinking about this one. Ovechkin and Crosby are both fast players, but I see Ovechkin having the edge. He can skate end to end with the puck on his stick the whole time and blow by any defenseman. Crosby has god like hands as well, but he relies more on his linemates to finish a play unlike Ovechkin.
In the corners, Crosby probably has an edge. I say this because you won't find Ovechkin in the corners too often because he is able to plant himself in front of the net without being moved. Alexander Ovechkin has three inches and 20 pounds over Crosby, which I would think makes Ovechkin a more solid player.
When it comes to the physical part of the game, Ovechkin blows Crosby out of the water. I have never seen Alexander Ovechkin get "laid out," but in Crosby's defense, he hasn't been on the receiving end of too many big hits.
On the other hand, Ovechkin delivers some huge hits and can teach people to keep their heads up. I can't recall every seeing Sidney Crosby lay someone out quite like Ovechkin has. But when it comes to fighting, my hats off the the career 2-0 Sidney Crosby.
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