Best Crosby vs. Ovechkin game debated by NHL.com panel

The NHL season has been paused because of concerns about the coronavirus, and NBCSN has tried to fill the void by reliving some of the best games and moments from the past 12 years.

"Hockey Week in America" began Monday. Saturday features the most notable installments of the rivalry between Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, starting with Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals at 8 p.m. ET. The network will also air Game 6 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Second Round at 10 p.m. ET and Game 6 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Second Round at 12:30 a.m. ET Sunday.
The best Game 7 overtime thrillers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs were debated Monday and four of the top playoff rivalry games were discussed Tuesday. Notable NHL outdoor games were featured Wednesday, memorable Stanley Cup-clinching games were the focus Thursday and the top individual playoff performances were debated Friday.
NHL.com asked three of its writers to pick their favorite game from among the field each day. Today, the best game of the rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin:

Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

For one magical evening, Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals, it was Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson, Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. Elite rivals at their best, going head-to-head. Sidney Crosby. Alex Ovechkin. Two superstars. Two hat tricks. Two players who each had yet to reach his 24th birthday. "Sick game," Ovechkin said after the Washington Capitals' 4-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. For those of us on hand in Washington, it was a glimpse into the present and the future of the sport, courtesy of two generational players who would dominate the game for the next decade. Ovechkin broke a 2-2 tie with two goals 2:29 apart in the third period before Crosby scored his third of the game at 19:29 to round out the scoring. Some perspective here: I've been privileged enough to cover the Stanley Cup Final on multiple occasions, along with the Memorial Cup, World Series, Super Bowls, soccer's World Cup, Indianapolis 500s, the Grey Cup, a PGA Championship, a Presidents' Cup, even a Daytona 500 … and this particular game ranks among the most memorable moments of my career.

Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Although I didn't cover it, I'd also pick the dueling hat tricks game, which, knowing how Dan Rosen feels about it, would make this unanimous. To be different, I'll go with the 2018 edition of this rivalry, specifically Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round, when Washington finally broke through against Pittsburgh to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1998. I covered the 2016 and 2018 Eastern Conference Second Round series between the Capitals and Penguins; each was decided with a Game 6 overtime goal in Pittsburgh. I remember the deafening roar of the crowd after the first one and the silence at PPG Paints Arena, other than the Capitals celebrating, following the second. The Penguins won in 2016, but it wasn't a spotlight series for Crosby; he was limited to two assists with most of the attention grabbed by the "HBK line" of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel, which combined for 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), including Bonino's Game 6 overtime goal. In 2018, Ovechkin was a part of almost every big moment for Washington. He scored the winning goal with 1:07 left in Game 3, set up forward Jakub Vrana's winning goal with 4:38 left in Game 5, and made the pass that sent center Evgeny Kuznetsov in for his series-winning breakaway goal 5:27 into overtime in Game 6.

Dan Rosen, senior writer

You are correct, Tom. I'm glad you went with something different, because this would have been, as you said, unanimous had you chose the dueling hat tricks game. Like Mike, I covered this game, and it was an absolute privilege, the kind of game that leaves nothing to the imagination, the two biggest superstars of this generation leaving the biggest impression possible for a second-round game. It was Ovechkin's third goal at 15:22 of the third period that was the game-winner, his second goal in 2:29, because Crosby got his third of the game with 31 seconds remaining. The difference in Washington's 4-3 win was a goal by Capitals forward David Steckel at 15:49 of the second period. That's merely a footnote in what was otherwise a historic showdown between Ovi and Sid, something we never had the privilege of seeing from Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "Not too many people can do what they did tonight," then-Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said following the game. He wasn't wrong.