The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will renew their rivalry on Thursday night and the game not only has big ramifications for the postseason but is historic in nature as well. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will play in their milestone 69th career game against each other.
There’s an adjective to describe this accolade, but I just can’t think of it.
The Capitals have won 2 of their first 3 meetings against the Penguins this season, outscoring their Metropolitan Division rival 10-7. Ovechkin has three points (2g, 1a) in those games while Crosby has four (3g, 1a). The two both scored in their January 2 game against each other — the tenth time they’ve done that in the regular season and the sixteenth time overall.
The 2023-24 season marks the 19th season that the two legends have played against each other in their careers and is the NHL’s longest-standing rivalry. Per Penguins PR, Ovechkin and Crosby are the only two players in the NHL to play for the same team since the beginning of the 2005-06 season. The Capitals are 25-39-4 all-time in those matchups.
In the two players’ 68 games against each other previously, these are their stat lines.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | 68 | 31 | 59 | 90 |
| Alex Ovechkin | 68 | 36 | 30 | 66 |
Ovechkin and Crosby are also two of the most decorated players in NHL history, winning a combined:
- 4 Stanley Cups
- 11 Rocket Richard trophies
- 6 Ted Lindsay awards
- 5 Hart trophies
- 3 Art Ross trophies
- 3 Conn Smythe awards
Ovechkin and Crosby have been in the same division since 2013, playing each other nearly four times a year. The two teams have also matched up against each other in the playoffs four different times during their careers.
Coming into tonight’s 69th game, Ovechkin has 1,544 points in 1,418 games and Crosby has 1,586 points in 1,265 games. Ovechkin ranks 13th all-time while Crosby ranks 11th.
Congratulations, Ovi and Sid on this historic night.
