I've debated or have at least mentioned in some previous posts who I believe to really be the better of the two between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, but in case people haven't read those previous articles, here it goes again—Alex Ovechkin is the more superior player between the two. Here is why:
First thing, If I asked you who the better player was between Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, the majority of people will say Ovechkin. But if I asked you who is better between Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, then there would be a debate. But as of right now, and since mid-season last year, Malkin is the superior player to Crosby.
I was glad to finally see someone in the NHL say something over the hype surrounding Sidney Crosby. Now some people could argue that they're jealous—but believe me, in no way is Alexander Semin jealous of Sidney Crosby.
Don't get me wrong. It's great what the NHL has done is promoting Sidney Crosby and broadening the NHL. Yet the NHL has so many stars to offer other than just Sidney Crosby. He is simply over-hyped and granted, I'm sure he does not want all this exposure. What 21-year old would? He has taken it all in great stride, promoting the NHL and spend all his free time being the ambassador for hockey.
What was lost in translation on what Semin said of Crosby is more that the NHL is promoting one man as the best in the world, when he does not stand far above the other franchise players. Crosby is no Gretzky, or Lemieux for that matter. Not even in this era of the NHL.
Crosby has accomplished a lot in his brief career in the NHL, He was the youngest player in all of sports to win a leading-scorer award and league MVP. But while everyone stated Crosby would run away with the Calder Memorial Trophy, his rookie year he was ousted by Alex Ovechkin.
In the first two years Crosby has had the beneficiary of playing with better players than Ovechkin—especially in their rookie season. Sidney Crosby has had Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney to move the puck out of the defense zone, while Ovechkin had to wait til last season for Mike Green to emerge as a puck-moving superstar.
In Crosby's second season he had the benefit of having both Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal joining the fold as well as two other top-five draft picks. Crosby was surrounded by a better cast of players, but the Caps have caught up with the emergence of Alexander Semin, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and free agent pickups Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov, Jose Theodore, Tom Poti, Michael Nylander and Brian Pothier—although Pothier has been on the Injured Reserved list for some time.
Now that both teams have consistent depth, the rivalry is getting bigger and Ovechkin is emerging as the better player.
Ovechkin has won more hardware than Crosby has. Both have won the triple crown of the Art Ross, Lester B. Pearson, and the Hart Memorial, yet Ovechkin has also won the Maurice Rocket Richard as well as beaten Crosby for the Calder Memorial for rookie of the year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ovechkin evolve his game even further, and one day win Frank J Selke trophy for best defensive forward, as he does have one of the best as a mentor in Fedorov.
15 comments Last one added 2 months ago — Leave a Comment
JYOUNG 7 months ago
I completely agree that Ovechkin is the superior player mainly because of the physicality he brings to the game. He's a gritty player who does what it takes to get and control the puck. He's got good hockey sense, but he's not as much of a two-way player as Sid the Kid. Also, Crosby's numbers I think have suffered because of the role he has taken on. When he first entered the league, he was there to do one thing. Make plays happen. Score. Now, as captain, his role has changed slightly. I'm not saying his main focus has changed, because it is without a doubt the same. But as captain, other things jump into your role that take away from your production. Leading by example, taking care of business on the ice, etc. All of these are looked at to the captain for, and I think because he is so young, he has yet to figure out how to balance it all out. Malkin is amazing, and I agree that Ovechkin takes the cake, certainly offensively. I think the debate when people think about it is because people see how Crosby plays defense so much more than Oveckin.
Great Article.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jeff Badger 7 months ago
"certainly offensively" - um, had Crosby not been injured last year, the Art Ross would have been a coin flip, as they had identical Points Per Game averages. Yes, Ovechkin scores more goals, but Crosby creates FAR more goals.
Edit Comment Cancel
Shawn Dommer 7 months ago
Crosby is the kind of guy that you can build an organization around. At 21 he has shown time and again his maturity is superior. He's great in the community and responds with poise and grace to criticism and jealousy. AO is an amazing player but he has yet to show the type of leadership and maturity Crosby possesses. I'll take Crosby to build a dynasty and organization around to lead Malkin and Fleury over AO and SEmin any day of the week.
Edit Comment Cancel
Ronnybrook 7 months ago
I think Ovechkin. He's done more with a weaker cast around him and still dominated. Crosby is a close #2.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jeff Badger 7 months ago
Good article - I like that you actually formulated your arguement instead of just saying "Ovechkin scores more goals so he's better."
However, TSN did a formal survey of 28 NHL GM's with this question - "If you were building a frachise for the next 5 years, what player would you want to build around?" Each answered with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place vote.
Crosby received 15 First place votes. Ovechkin recieved 5. Luongo had 7 first place votes and Sutter picked Dion Phaneuf.
You're intitled to your opinion, but I'm going to assume that the 15 NHL GMs who agree with me know what their talking about, and have very legitimate reasons to think so.
Here's the link:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252046
Edit Comment Cancel
Mark D 7 months ago
This article reeks of bias. You basically chopped Crosby down to build Ovechkin up. Just because you believe that Malkin and Ovechkin are superior to Crosby does not make it true. Your evidence is weak. You cannot dismiss all of Crosby’s achievements just because you think he was a beneficiary of playing on a good team. He won the Art Ross on a decent team, with pitiful linemates in Armstrong and Eckman. Yes, Ovechkin beat Crosby out for the Calder. But – Ovechkin was 20 at the time, and Crosby was only 18. At that age, two years makes a world of difference. Secondly, Crosby became the youngest player to ever win the Art Ross, Lester B Pearson and Hart Trophy at just 19 years of age. His career PPG average also betters that of Ovechkin by a margin of 1.37 to 1.25. Last season, Ovechkin won the Rocket Richard trophy, and deservedly so, but had Crosby not sustained an injury that kept him out of the lineup for 29 games, the scoring title could have just as easily been his. Leading the playoffs in scoring at the age of 21 is a phenomenal feat, despite what anyone says. So what if Crosby was on a good team? Is it possible that one of the main reasons why the team was so good is because they had a player of Crosby’s caliber? If I recall correctly, Crosby was one of the only Penguins who actually showed up in the Stanley Cup Finals, and gave Detroit a rather hard time. Crosby and Ovechkin are both world class players, and they are certainly very comparable in talent and ability to one another. Who is the better player? It’s a tossup, and it basically comes down to personal preference. It is by no means the lopsided decision that you try to make it out to be. Both players are superstars in their own right, and in any given season, any one of Crosby, Ovechkin or Malkin could be the standout player of the year. For you to make it sound like there is no comparison to be made between Crosby and Ovechkin is not only ignorant, it is just plain wrong.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jennifer Johnson 7 months ago
Ovechkin isn't only a goal-scorer. He actually has more assists than goals this year. (8 G 15 A)
Three which he earned in last night's excellent special teams win against the Ducks.
Bruce Boudreau has leaned on Alex in the early stages of the season to improve the team's penalty killing unit.
The Caps will need him tonight to step up, as puckhandling defenseman Mike Green left yesterday's game with a shoulder injury.
I think the media wonks would change their minds about Alex if his team won a few games against Pittsburgh.
As an individual player, the Russian Rocket has my vote.
Edit Comment Cancel
Andrew Mason 7 months ago
I think with the emergence of Alexander Semin who is the better tandem? Alex Semin/Alex Ovechkin or Malkin/Crosby? Semin and Ovechkin have combined for 49 points and Malkin and Crosby for 52. Ovechkin and Semin have a much better plus/minus than crosby and malkin. So whos the better duo? I think i have to go with Ovechkin and Semin
In your argument however Ovechkin is better as he is the more complete two way player.
Edit Comment Cancel
Derek Harmsworth 7 months ago
Ovechkin does it all. I mean, Crosby does a lot, but Ovie does it all.
Still, I think it's a tough comparison because other than coming into the league together, and being real good players, they don't have that much in common. And they are two totally different players.
Ovechkin is more the scorer, and Crosby the playmaker (not to say that he can't score some nice goals, we've all seen his work.)
Edit Comment Cancel
Brandon Hillis 7 months ago
While most of the issues have already been dealt with, there are some issues I want to comment on.
1) The Selke Trophy Comment
2) The pointless nature of such a comparison
3) Captaincy
1) To say that Ovechkin could one day be a Selke winner is mind-blowing. The guy is good, offensively, but, I'm pretty sure he has a very poor idea of what his own zone even looks like. Conversely, Crosby plays defence, he blocks shots, he takes away passing lanes, he stays in his zone, he checks, and he is finally starting to get some time on the PK.
2) A comparison between # 87 and # 8 may be fun, but, as Derek pointed out, they are two totally different players, and as such, a comparison is of little merit. Think about it, would you ever compare Joe Sakic with Pavel Bure, or Patrick Kane with Rick Nash, for example? Of course not, because their playing styles are completely different.
3) Crosby getting the captaincy puts a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, responsibility that AO doesn't have. As a captain, you have to lead by example, which, for many players includes becoming more defensively conscious, and by doing things that don't necessarily result in points. You look at a guy like Steve Yzerman, when he became a captain he began to focus more on the defensive aspects of his game, and as a result, his point totals went down. It didn't make him any worse as a player.
Edit Comment Cancel
troy nixon 7 months ago
I don't see much of a difference talentwise between the top 10 players at least.
ovechkin
malkin
crosby
semin
tiny dropoff
kovalchuk
vanek
iginla
heatley
thornton
hossa
datsyuk
zetterberg
staal (also led in playoff scoring and has a cup while crosby does not)
nash
kane
lecavalier
And that's just forwards
Edit Comment Cancel
mm mm 7 months ago
calder trophy= ovechkins rookie year should have been during lockout and since it wasnt he was rookie same time as crosby and also had 2 years on him as a 20 year old...big difference between those two ages in maturity, strength, experience, etc. plus he only had like 3 more pts than crosby that year.
Better cast= crosby has played with ekman, armstrong, dupuis, OLD reechi, etc. and usually only plays with malkin on PP.
Points= Crosby career wise has better PPG than ovechkin and only reason he didnt win scoring title last year was he was hurt (same PPG as ovechkin last year) Look at sophomore season where crosby outscored ovechkin by 30 points that year while playing 3 less games.
Playoffs= Malkin was good last year but crosby still had higher PPG and while malkin was no where in the playoffs crosby carried the pens to the final...ovie 1st round knockout.
I honestly think the only things ovie is better at is scoring goals and the "big hit", but crosby's playmaking skills and ability to make the entire team better as a unit makes him the overall better player and not to say he's a chump when it comes to scoring goals either.
Edit Comment Cancel
Brett H 7 months ago
i would definately say that ovechkin is the winner, not only does he score goals, get assists, and play well....he also has the strength to do it. He has only missed a mere 3 or 4 games in his nhl career. Unlike crosby if he gets thrown around the boards or knocked on his ass....he gets right back up and turns back on his full potential. We can't really say this about crosby. Yeah the kids got skills in all....but he lacks the physicality that is most of the time needed in the NHL. With a little more strength training and training on how not to curl up into a ball on the ice everytime some guy touches you even the slight bit, then Sidney can be considered up with the most current players of the NHL....but until then ill continue to agree with OVECHKIN and not Crosby just for the fact that he hasnt shown me anything since his first year where he wasnt constantly being a pansy.
Edit Comment Cancel
buzz one 7 months ago
I will tell you one thing, when the puck goes into the corner and there are two players against Sid the Kid. 9 out of 10 times he will come out with the puck and make a pass to the open man.
Another thing, Sid took less contract money , so there would be enough money to go around and low and behold they make the cup the same year. He is not the greedy me first player. Look at Ovechkins contract it is appalling his team is going to suffer due to Cap issues, especially now that the cap is going to go down next year.
His all around game. Forechecking,backchecking, and really the main thing. Look at his linemates, they constantly have been changing forever,never has a sniper on his side, except HOSSA during the playoffs. If he gets a linemate who can bury the puck he will score 200pts.
I like Ovechkin no doubt and would trade Malkin for him, but I wouldnt trade Sid for Ovechkin.
I have been a Pens season ticket holder since 1988 and have seen them all. Mario and Jagr,Francis and Stevens, now Sid and Geno.
Edit Comment Cancel
Nathan Cherpak 2 months ago
I've been watching Crosby ever since he came into the NHL. I don't know how he does this but every game Crosby seems to make the players around him better than they even should be. Thats how good he truly is. Ovechkin on the other hand seems to make Ovechkin better every game, he's getting faster, stronger, and just outright more insane every time he puts on his skates. But what I think makes Crosby better and what will always make him better is his love. His love or the game and love for his Pittsburgh team. The Pittsburgh team that he arranged a hometown contract with for only $7 million a year for an athlete of his caliber. Ovechkin and his parents made league history by signing for a 13 year - $124 million contract. Crosby wants it more, he is the hero of the National Hockey League while Ovechkin is the villian. It is just what the NHL needs, and will have for a long, long time.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.