Alex Ovechkin made a little more hockey history Sunday afternoon. His power play goal in the Washington Capitals’ 5-4 win against the New Jersey Devils was the 725th goal of his Hall of Fame-caliber career, leaving him just seven goals from passing Marcel Dionne for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time list. It also was his 265th power-play goal, moving him into a second-place tie with Brett Hull, nine goals behind Dave Andreychuk.
Isn’t it enough to say Ovechkin might be the greatest pure goal-scorer in NHL history?
Does someone really have to denigrate Sidney Crosby to validate Ovechkin’s greatness?
That’s what Brandon Dubinsky did last week. You might remember him as a mostly nondescript player with the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2006-2019. He was an agitator whose primary job when he played against the Penguins was to try to knock Crosby off his game, often with cheap shots. He and Crosby fought in February 2015 — one of Crosby’s eight career fights, per hockeyfights.com — and he was suspended for a game in November 2018 for cross-checking Crosby in the back of the neck.
It turns out Dubinsky saved his most wicked hit on Crosby for his appearance Thursday on something called The Garage Beers Podcast.
“Dude, [bleep] Sid. I’ll take Ovie every day of the week,” Dubinsky said.
Dubinsky later double-downed on Twitter Friday by tweeting he was honored to ask for and receive an autographed stick from Ovechkin, but that he never would ask for a Crosby stick because he doesn’t want one.
“Sid just whined way too much and Ovie just shut up and played hard,” he said.
Crosby deserved that?
Really?
Crosby long has been regarded as a whiner by many NHL people. That goes back to a game in Philadelphia in his rookie season in 2005 when Derian Hatcher of the Flyers knocked out a few of his teeth with a high stick but wasn’t called for a penalty. Crosby complained to the referees and, just like that, an image was born. It didn’t help when then-Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock called Crosby a diver. Philly fans still ride Crosby unmercifully.
But to take Ovechkin over Crosby every day of the week?
Based on what?
Crosby has been a much bigger winner than Ovechkin. He has three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals. Ovechkin has one Cup.
Crosby and the Penguins have won more than Ovechkin and the Capitals head-to-head. The Penguins have won three of four playoff series between the teams. They are 35-22-2 in regular season games in which Crosby and Ovechkin both played. It should be noted Ovechkin never has missed a game against the Penguins. Crosby has missed seven regular season games and one playoff game against the Capitals.
Crosby has been a better points producer than Ovechkin. He averages 1.28 points per game to Ovechkin’s 1.11 in regular season games and 1.13 points to Ovechkin’s 0.96 in the postseason. Their numbers in playoff games head-to-head are virtually identical: Crosby has 13 goals and 30 points in 25 games against the Capitals, and Ovechkin has 15 goals and 33 points in those same games.
Crosby also is the better defensive player. He plays a 200-foot game, Ovechkin not nearly as much.
Ovechkin’s significant edge over Crosby is in goals scored, 725-477. That is nothing that should embarrass Crosby. Only Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Hull and Dionne have scored more career goals than Ovechkin.
Ovechkin isn’t showing any signs of slowing down at 35. He has scored goals in 12 of the past 15 games and is averaging 0.61 goals per game during his career. It’s not crazy to think he has a chance to challenge Gretzky’s thought-to-be-unbreakable record of 894 goals.
It seems obvious to me.
Ovechkin is the better goal-scorer, Crosby the better overall player.
Can we all agree?
Bleep Dubinsky.
