Ovechkin has been more valuable to his team as well. Ovechkin has scored 24 game-winning goals in his career, while Crosby has scored 13. Ovechkin has scored 71 power-play goals to Crosby's 37.
Ovechkin came out of the door late this season due to stress and emotional turmoil of his ailing grandfather whom he is quite close to back in Russia, but when Ovechkin came back, he was back to his dominating ways.
As of today, Crosby has 22 points in 18 games, and Ovechkin has the same in 16 games. Ovechkin has 14 points in the past five games, along with a five-game goal streak. Over than span, Ovechkin has put up six goals and eight assists, and all were multiple-point games.
If Ovechkin keeps up this pace he'll no doubt catch up to Evgeni Malkin and take the lead in the NHL scoring race. With the chemistry of between him, Semin, Backstrom, and Fedorov, the pace should continue.
Contrary to my argument—because I know people are going to bring it up—yes, Crosby has lead the Penguins to the Cup Finals this past year after coming back from a high-ankle sprain that kept him out for 29 games last season. I know that, but everyone knows that hockey is not an individual sport.
Most of a players success can be attributed to his teammates. Crosby would not have been in the finals if he was not on a team with such great depth. In Crosby's first appearance in the playoffs, the Pens were eliminated in five games by the Ottawa Senators who went on to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Ovechkin has only been in the playoffs once, but like I said, it is important to be surrounded by other good players. The Capitals had a very intense and one of the most exciting playoff series against the Flyers that went to a Game Seven in overtime.
That game could've gone either way. Had the Capitals won, they would've faced the Penguins in the second round—and that for sure would have been one of the most anticipated playoff match-ups in recent years.
I don't think any two teams have been more anticipated to play against each other in the playoffs since the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry in 1996.
Crosby's team was eliminated in their first playoff appearance in the first round, as was Ovechkin's. Ovechkin has made a comment about that—except he has stated when the Capitals make the Stanley Cup Finals, they will win the Cup.
It'll be interesting to see as both players progress through their careers which player accomplishes more—but as of right now, Ovechkin is the better player.
As I've stated before, the NHL should advertise more of its stars than Crosby to make more of them household names. By doing so, it will open the game up to more people. Ovechkin never shies away from interviews or doing various charitable events in the Washington area, despite his thick Russian accent, and has made a very good effort in adapting to the North American Culture.
The NHL should promote Ovechkin more. He is one of the most exciting players to ever play in the NHL. Other players that are exciting—even more so than Crosby—include Patrick Kane, Thomas Vanek, Ilya Kovalchuk, Mike Green, Henrik Zetterberg, and Jarome Iginla.
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