Alexander Ovechkin Shines Against "Norris" Nick Lidstrom

Even after winning the MVP award last year, I never considered Alexander Ovechkin the best player in the game.

That nod went to Red Wings defenseman Nick Lidstrom.

No doubting the fact Ovechkin was the best forward and shared the spotlight with Sidney Crosby for the league's cover boy.  Ovechkin plays a reckless style that garners the attention of even the casual fan.

Que all the adjectives that are synonyms to "energetic" or "explosive."

But Lidstrom—I've never seen anyone like him.  When you have the pleasure to watch him nearly every game over a 20 year period, you pick up on things that most fans don't get to see.

Lidstrom makes the most difficult plays look pedestrian.  He slows the game down to his speed.  He neutralizes the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NHL. 

He's not flashy, but he simply doesn't make mistakes.  He rarely takes penalties and he never takes a hit.  That's probably why he's only missed 31 games in a career that dates back to the 1989 entry draft.

He also scores at a remarkable level.  He's always near the top of defenseman scoring.

The closest thing to Lidstrom getting beat one-on-one was in the 1996 Western Conference Finals.  During a net-front play, Peter Forsberg took advantage of the puck being tight to Lidstrom's feet.  Forsberg got past Lidstrom and finished the play by putting the puck past Chris Osgood.

He just never gets beat.  Ever.

However, that changed Saturday during the tilt between the Wings and Caps. 

Ovechkin brushed off a Brian Rafalski open-ice hit and gained speed coming down the left side of the ice.  As he crossed the blue line with Lidstrom in front of him, he put the puck between Lidstrom's stick and his body, side stepped the defending Norris winner and went in toward goalie Ty Conklin before Kirk Maltby swiped the puck away after an impressive back-check.

I've never seen that.  Neither have you.

He didn't even score, but he cleanly beat possibly the best defensive defenseman of all-time in open ice. And he made it look easy.

Within the same period, he took a pass going behind him and redirected it between his legs, off his left skate and up to his stick.  Within a second it was in the back of the net.

Minutes later, he tapped in a power-play goal. 

Against the defending champs, he brought the same physical play he brings to every game. He decked Valtteri Filppula and nearly took out fellow Russian star Pavel Datsyuk, if it wasn't for a quick side-step. 

And that's what you have to love about Ovechkin.  He'll hit anybody—star player or third-line grinder.

He celebrates like every goal is his last goal.  But certainly he has hundreds more left to score. 

Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL.  Although a different type of player than Sidney Crosby, he's simply better.  And while Lidstrom will always get my utmost respect, it took one game for Ovechkin to show me how truly talented he is.

Despite being in different eras, Gretzky wouldn't be able to outscore this kid.  He'd also want to keep his head up.

If I'm Gary Bettman, I'd be praying for a best-of-seven chess match between the world's best two players when June rolls around.