The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle on the man advantage, dropping to 25th in the NHL. For nearly two decades, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitlas have been led by not only superstars, but future Hall of Famers in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. The rivalry between the Penguins and Capitals hit new levels with those two in the NHL and they may have done so much more for the league than you may think. In a recent story by Rob Rossi of the Athletic, [https://theathletic.com/5081263/2023/11/23/sidney-crosby-alex-ovechkin-nhl-legacy/] Ovechkin made the claim that he and Crosby ‘saved the NHL.’ Crosby and Ovechkin were rookies in 2005-06, the first year out of a full-season lockout from the NHL and they are yet to slow down their play. Ovechkin is chasing down the all-time goals record and Crosby is keeping pace with some of the best young players in the league with scoring. It’s those young players that Ovechkin would eventually allude to as being the ones that need to come and take the crown from him and Crosby. “Now they come in, and I guess we’re old news,” Ovechkin said. “It’s up to those guys to come in and prove me wrong that we’re not the best.” As both players near the end of their careers, plenty of discussion is being had regarding where they stand on all-time players lists. Crosby is often considered one of the new ‘Mt. Rushmore’ players while Ovechkin is tracking to be the greatest goal scorer in the sport’s history. Things weren’t going smoothly in hockey coming out of the lockout, but the rivalry that picked up between two of the game’s greatest players absolutely primed the NHL for the increase in skilled players we see in 2023. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Former Penguins Goalie Wears Special Mask Despite NHL Policy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/former-pittsburgh-penguins-marc-andre-fleury-wears-mask-nhl-policy] Exploring Who Could Be on Penguins Trade Block [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/exploring-who-on-pittsburgh-penguins-trade-block] Penguins vs. Maple Leafs: Need To Steal Wins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-toronto-maple-leafs-need-steal-wins] Sidney Crosby on Career Best Goal Scoring Pace [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-sidney-crosby-career-best-goal-pace] Penguins Allow Three Unanswered Goals in Third Period in Loss to Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-allow-three-unanswered-loss-buffalo-sabres] * undefined * undefined
