CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are intrinsically linked.
They have produced, possibly, the most notable modern rivalry in the NHL. Crosby, captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has faced Ovechkin, his counterpart with the Washington Capitals, 65 times in the regular season since each made their NHL debut Oct. 5, 2005.
The 66th will come Friday, when Crosby again leads the Penguins against Ovechkin and the Capitals at Capital One Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, SN, TVAS).
Crosby, a center, is 36 years old. Ovechkin, a left wing, is 38. Each is in his 19th NHL season.
It's the first of four games between them, but it's likely there are more matchups behind them than ahead.
"I don't really think about it that way," Crosby said. "Both teams understand when we play each other there's a little more to the game, it seems like. That's developed over the years. I don't look back. I don't really look forward. I just look at the opportunity to compete and the challenge.
"But yeah, I think just to have the opportunity all these years to go up against him, to be in the same division and have that matchup, it's probably brought the best out of both of us."
The best still is there, and these games matter just as much.
"It's always nice to play against him," Ovechkin said. "He's a top player in the League. The rivalry between me and Sid, the Caps and Pens, it's always been at the top of the League."
Opening his season Friday, Ovechkin has 822 goals in 1,347 games, leaving him 73 away from passing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894. Ovechkin has scored 92 goals in 150 games the past two seasons (50 in 2021-22, 42 last season).
"That's just great for the game that some guys are able to get to the point where they can chase down records that nobody thought could be broken," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "Obviously playing against him so many times, he always finds ways to score those goals. At one point, it's like, 'Is he ever going to slow down?' He seems to find a way to just find the back of the net all the time."
Crosby's game hasn't dipped much either. He led Pittsburgh with 93 points (33 goals, 60 assists) in 82 games last season and scored a goal in a season-opening 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
In 1,191 NHL games, Crosby has 1,503 points (551 goals, 952 assists), the most among active players, and 18 points ahead of Ovechkin in second (1,485 points).
"I think the hockey world has been lucky to have those two going head to head for so long, be competitive for, it feels like, two decades almost," said forward Lars Eller, who signed with Pittsburgh on July 1 and who played 488 games with Washington from 2016-23. "It's just impressive. I have the utmost admiration for both of them.
"They're exceptional players and human beings, each in their own way. I just feel privileged and lucky to play alongside both of them."
Crosby was a roadblock for Ovechkin earlier in their careers. He led the Penguins past the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Second Round and to a Stanley Cup championship three times (2009, 2016, 2017).
Ovechkin broke through in 2018 when he helped Washington eliminate Pittsburgh in the second round on its way to winning the Stanley Cup.
In their previous 65 regular-season games, Crosby and the Penguins are 38-23-4, including 2-0-1 last season. Crosby has 86 points (28 goals, 48 assists); Ovechkin has 63 points (34 goals, 29 assists).
Ovechkin has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; Crosby has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists).
"It's obviously been one of the best matchups in the League in the last 15 years or so," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Part of it is because of the nature, I think, of both Sid and Ovi being two generational talents. But also, they're two organizations that have had a lot of success and won a lot of hockey games.
"Sid and Ovi, both, have been terrific ambassadors for the League. … I think all of us that have had the opportunity to watch it up close certainly understand that it's a privilege to watch these guys and be a part of it. They're amazing talents. They're incredibly competitive guys. I think that's one of the things that fuels the rivalry."
It's been that way since Crosby was selected No. 1 by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL Draft, one year after Ovechkin was drafted No. 1 by Washington in the 2004 NHL Draft. Ovechkin had to wait a season to play because the 2004-05 season was cancelled because of a lockout.
Nearly two decades later, Crosby remains the face of the Penguins. Same goes for Ovechkin with the Capitals.
That alone shouldn't be taken for granted, Crosby said.
"It's just rare," Crosby said. "You don't see it happen very often. A lot of things need to come together for it to work out that way. He's obviously had an amazing career, continues to. Has had success there. It's rare and you appreciate opportunities like that."
NHL.com independent correspondent Harvey Valentine contributed to this report
