Sidney Crosby scare puts the Ovechkin showdown in doubt
Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby and Dan Muse just put a heavy layer of doubt over what might have been one more classic night against Alex Ovechkin.
Pittsburgh ruled Crosby out Saturday as day to day with a lower-body issue.
That alone changes the feel of a Capitals-Penguins game in a big way.
It is not just Crosby either.
Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang were also among the Penguins listed out for the game.
Still, Crosby is where fans of both teams will look first.
Because once he is missing, the whole Ovechkin angle hits a lot harder.
This matchup was supposed to carry real nostalgia.
Local preview coverage had it lined up as the 100th Crosby-Ovechkin meeting.
And that is why this one stings.
If Ovechkin really is nearing the end of his career, there is no promise hockey gets another Crosby-Ovechkin chapter.
If Ovechkin really is nearing the end of his career, there is no promise hockey gets another Crosby-Ovechkin chapter.
Why this rivalry meant so much to two fan bases for years
For almost 2 decades, Crosby and Ovechkin have been appointment viewing for Pittsburgh and Washington fans.
They gave this rivalry star power, edge, and a standard that always made the game feel bigger.
It was never just about points or highlights.
It was about two franchise faces dragging their teams into games that always felt personal.
That is why Crosby being out lands like more than an injury update.
It feels like a door cracking on one of the NHL's defining rivalries.
It feels like a door cracking on one of the NHL's defining rivalries.
Washington fans know exactly what Crosby meant to this era.
Penguins fans know the same about Ovechkin, even when they hated seeing him on the other side.
Penguins fans know the same about Ovechkin, even when they hated seeing him on the other side.
Those rivalries are what keep regular-season games alive in memory.
And these two gave fans a stack of them that still stands above most matchups from their generation.
Maybe there will be another meeting down the road.
But with Crosby missing this one and Ovechkin's future still hanging in the air, it is fair for both fan bases to feel the weight of what might be slipping away.
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| POLL | ||
AVRIL 11|39 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby scare puts the Ovechkin showdown in doubt If this was the last Crosby-Ovechkin matchup, is it the best rivalry of its era ? | ||
| Yes | 28 | 71.8 % |
| No | 11 | 28.2 % |
| List of polls | ||