Passing Of The Torch Is Approaching For Penguins' Crosby And Capitals' Ovechkin

Where did the time go?

It seemed like it was only yesterday when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were combining for a pair of hat tricks in a wild Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final back in 2009.

But in what was their 101st meeting against one another on Wednesday night, you had to squint hard at the game sheet to find where either player made even the slightest of impacts.

Neither Crosby nor Ovechkin recorded a point in the 5-3 win for the Washington Capitals. At times, you could be forgiven for forgetting they were even on the ice.

Crosby was a minus-4 with two shots on net. Ovechkin, who also had two shots on net, logged just 14:05 in ice time — the seventh fewest minutes on his team.

In other words, Father Time remains undefeated.

The days of Crosby and Ovechkin dominating the league is inevitably coming to an end. Ovechkin, who is 41, has already announced that this will be his final season in the NHL. As for the 39-year-old Crosby, he told The Hockey News back in September that he is letting his "mind and body" tell him when it's time for him to hang up his skates.

More and more, it's looking like that day could be coming sooner rather than later.

Ovechkin is the third-oldest player in the NHL. Crosby is the fifth. While both players led their respective teams in scoring last year — with Crosby also leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to the playoffs — it might have been the last time either of them do so.

One week into the season, Crosby has just a pair of assists and is still searching for his first goal after four games. Ovechkin, who is also without a goal, has one assist in three games.

It's an admittedly small sample size. As Crosby told The Hockey News at the NHL Player Media Tour last month, bet against Ovechkin at your own peril. 

But at this stage in their careers, who would actually bet on Ovechkin winning his 10th Rocket Richard Trophy? Or Crosby competing for a third Art Ross or Hart Trophy?

"How many goals did he have last year?" Crosby said of Ovechkin. "He knows how to score goals. You don't lose that. Maybe as you get older you have to adjust a little bit, but his shot is his shot. That's not going anywhere."

Maybe not. But while Ovechkin's shot might still be a weapon, he's now in a position where he is not able to use that weapon as much as he did in the past.

Ovechkin is no longer the Capitals' No. 1 scoring option. The top line consists of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson and Alex Tuch, who have already combined for five goals and 11 points in three games.

Even on the power play, where Ovechkin has done the most of his damage, the days of him staying on the ice for the entire two minutes appear to be over.

"I'm not going to say that he doesn't want to be out there and he's like, 'Yay, thanks, 'Carbs' for calling me off,'" Capitals coach Spencer Carbery told reporters. "That's not how it is. But he also is understanding of what we're trying to accomplish as a team and the great players that he has around him.

"So, anytime that I talk about 'Here's why we're doing it, and here's the reason behind it, and here's why this is going to help our team.' He's like, 'I’m all in. I'll come off. Tell me when.'"

The Penguins might not have as deep of a roster as the Capitals, so dialling back Crosby's minutes are not something that coach Dan Muse can do.

At the same time, it's starting to become clear that young players like Ben Kindel (two goals and four points), Nick Robertson (three goals) and Hendrix Lapierre (one goal and three points) are ready for more responsibility.

If so, it could mean that a passing of the torch is coming in Pittsburgh where Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are on expiring contracts, and Kris Letang's current deal expires in 2028.

And that time could be this season, in what is looking like the last of consequence for two of the game's best superstars.

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