Ovechkin is no match for Crosby’s superstar status

There are stars that rise to the challenge and there are those that fade away. The playoffs are the perfect time of the year for a young superstar to shine.  Sidney Crosby took his Penguins to the next level; Alexander Ovechkin’s Capitals hope to do the same. When it comes to comparing the NHL’s two young stars there is no question that Crosby deserves the spotlight over Ovechkin.

Over the last five years, Alex the Great has scored more goals than Sid the Kid, but there’s a lot more to “being the best” than just scoring exciting goals.  You have to take a look at all the elements that impact the outcome of a game because great stats simply don’t tell the whole story.

Crosby provides the intangibles that Ovechkin seems burdened with. If you’re looking for someone to bring the fans to their feet and show up on the highlight reel at 11 o’clock, then Alex is your guy. No question. However, if you’re looking for someone to put up points but also be responsible defensively, kill penalties, win face-offs, and perform at their best in the biggest situations with a proven history of success then Sid is your guy. It is no coincidence that his teams keep winning championships. It is no coincidence that his teams always seem to beat Ovy when everything is on the line.

Number 87 outdueled number eight on the three greatest hockey stages in the world.  At the 2005 World Juniors, Team Crosby blew out Team Ovechkin.  Last season, Crosby won the Stanley Cup beating Ovechkin head-to-head along the way.  To ice it off Sid notched the game winning goal for Canada to take home the Olympic gold, while Ovy and the Russians went home empty handed.

If hockey were about flare and swagger, than Ovy’s your obvious choice, but hockey is a team sport.  Hockey is about putting collective goals ahead of your own and winning championships. This can all be traced to leadership and Crosby has the brilliance of a leader.  At 21 years of age, he became the youngest captain in NHL history to guide his team to a Stanley Cup championship.  His willingness and ability to evolve his game for the good of the team contrasts his counterpart.  This off-season Crosby wanted to be on the Penguins number one penalty killing unit, so he watched tape and worked on it. Coach Dan Bylsma acknowledged Crosby’s much-improved defensive-zone play and rewarded him with time on the PK.  Despite, Ovechkin’s impressive +45 rating, you won’t see him on the ice defending the extra man.

Here are some tangibles…Crosby leads this year’s playoff race with 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) and stamped a ticket into the second round.  Ovechkin, is sixth in the league with nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) and no guarantee of the second round unless he can find a way around the Canadiens.  Ovechkin, the first player to win the Art Ross Trophy, Maurice Richard Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy all in a single season, deserves respect.  Crosby has done it too, just not in a single season but he has hoisted the most coveted trophy of all and donned Olympic gold.  How’s that for a resume?

In team sports, being a complete player is the definition of being great.  Sid’s all around game and understanding of the sacrifice needed to win sets him apart.  Alex just loves to win but doesn’t display the same qualities.  People keep saying that the Penguins make Crosby the player he is but looking at their respective clubs its clear Ovy has better line mates and a talented supporting cast.  Imagine Crosby’s stats with line mates, Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Sid is the player who puts the super in superstar.  His brilliance extends beyond points and exciting moves. Number eighty-seven brings heart, desire and leadership to do whatever it takes to win. Number eight wants the spotlight but when it’s the brightest, he fades away.

For OpenIceHockey.com, I’m Ashley Mabee.