Crosby vs. Ovechkin: Why Stagnant Sid Has Been Surpassed by Effervescent Alex

In the wake of Alex Ovechkin’s breathtaking goal Wednesday night against the Canadiens, and following an article by the great Michael Farber for this week’s Sports Illustrated that details the backslide of the Pittsburgh Penguins, one fact is abundantly clear.

In the inevitable comparison between A.O. and fellow fourth-year franchise player Sidney Crosby, 2008-09 certainly belongs to the Washington wizard.

Advantage: Ovechkin.

If 2005-'06 is to be awarded to the Russian on the merit of his Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, if Crosby grabbed 2006-'07 along with the Art Ross scoring crown and the Hart for MVP and followed it up by earning a split decision in 2007-'08 after falling just short of the Stanley Cup, then this season is Ovechkin’s stinging counterpunch.

Even if we put aside their teams’ fortunes this season, the 23-year-old Muscovite has simply enjoyed a better season than his 21-year-old Nova Scotian counterpart. But if this much is clear, the reasons for Alex nosing ahead of Sid are decidedly less so.

Let’s start with motivation. While both superstars constructed banner seasons in 2007-'08—Ovechkin by becoming the first 60-goal NHLer in a decade, Crosby by returning from injury to lead the Penguins’ run to the Cup final—the Capitals’ catalyst had to sit and watch as Sid received the accolades and attention that naturally accompanied the aforementioned playoff success.

Perhaps Ovechkin combined his memories of watching the Pens advance with the frustration of a first-round Game Seven postseason exit and stoked his competitive fire to a level that has not waned deep into February.

Of course, hockey is not an individual game, so it’s impossible to separate a player’s performance from that of the team that surrounds him. After coming together in the second half of last season and dramatically stealing the Southeast title from the Hurricanes, the Capitals returned virtually the same lineup that took flight last spring for another kick at the can.

As youthful thoroughbreds like Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom continue to develop, Washington has transformed into a barnstorming outfit that inspires fear throughout the league.

Conversely, Pittsburgh muddled through the middle third of the season, dropping out of the Eastern Conference’s playoff field and forcing general manager Ray Shero to do something to change the team’s downward course.

As it turned out, that “something” was scrapping head coach Michel Therrien and replacing him with Dan Bylsma.

Figuring in the good mojo in Washington and the uncertainties of Pittsburgh, it makes sense that Ovechkin has taken the lead over Crosby for the honor of being the best player of the post-lockout era.

But if we left it at that, we would be ignoring the one aspect of this season that has to be unsettling for any honest Penguins employee, coach, player or fan: Crosby’s on-ice performance has regressed, albeit slightly.

Farber addresses this in Sports Illustrated by taking a look at the revolving doors in place on Sid’s twin flanks. After getting a taste last spring of meshing with a first-rate finisher in Marian Hossa, Crosby’s play this year has been at times out of sync and forced as he efforts to create chemistry with wingers ill-suited for his mile-a-minute game.

Sure, his point production is on pace with his per-game average during his first three seasons, but Sid’s highlight cupboard is surprisingly bare in his fourth year. This dearth of breathtaking maneuvers probably results from the fact we haven’t seen the usual sublime bursts of speed and regularly reliable hands that we are accustomed to witnessing from Crosby.

Perhaps the strain of rehabbing last spring’s high-ankle sprain, or trucking through 20 playoff games or a combination of both have taken a long-term bit out of Crosby’s explosiveness. The effects of a fairly serious injury, the first of Sid’s career, and a grueling NHL season that spilled into June cannot be understated.

Admittedly, these kinds of observations are subjective and anecdotal, but it’s quite evident that Crosby doesn’t have the consistent spring in his stride this season.

At least not yet.

With Evgeni Malkin providing most of the game-altering plays thus far and a new coach in place who will emphasize speed and aggressiveness, maybe the time is right for Crosby to replicate the type of late-season push he pieced together in his rookie campaign, the one that made him the youngest player ever to reach 100 points.

Judging by Thursday’s 5-4 win over Montreal, a change to an attacking philosophy, much like the one put in place by coach Bruce Boudreau in Washington, could be just the elixir for the Penguins’ stagnant season. Crosby and Malkin were at their supersonic best against the Canadiens, dreaming up plays and executing them at an otherworldly rate of speed.

The rest of the Pens, seemingly inspired by Bylsma’s mandate and their twin “Mega Powers,” followed along and delivered one of the most spirited efforts to date, even if it was a bit sloppy for their new boss’ taste.

As far as the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry is concerned, the only real way to take it to the next level would be a playoff showdown between the Caps and Pens. Two matchups remain in the four-game regular season series, the first of which is set for this Sunday afternoon in the District of Columbia.

Ironically for Alex the Great and the rising Capitals, Pittsburgh victories this Sunday and two weeks from now would go a long way toward giving the Penguins a chance to collide with the Caps in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Defeating Crosby and the Pens in the postseason would be the surest way for Ovechkin to claim the fourth round in what most hockey fans hope will turn out to be a true 15-round heavyweight clash.

The probable prize? The title of Generation’s Best Player.