MOSCOW, Oct 14 Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby stated that Washington Capitals hockey player Alexander Ovechkin is having an amazing career, and their teams’ head-to-head matches are always special.
On the night from Friday to Saturday, Moscow time, Washington will host Pittsburgh in its first meeting of the new National Hockey League (NHL) season. This will be Ovechkin and Crosby's 66th game against each other. In previous matches, the Canadian scored 86 (28 goals and 48 assists) points, Ovechkin — 63 (34+29).
“Both teams understand that when we play each other, there is more to the match. This has developed over the years. I don't look back. I don't look ahead. I just see an opportunity to compete and a challenge. But yes, the opportunity to play against him all these years, to be in the same division and to have such a confrontation is probably the best thing for both of us,” the NHL website quotes Crosby as saying.
National Hockey League (NHL)14 October 2023 • start at 02:30Completed
WashingtonUSA0 : 4
PittsburghUSA
24:07 • Evgeni Malkin (Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson)
25:51 • Sidney Crosby (Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin)
31:46 • Sidney Crosby (Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel)
56:57 • Reilly Smith (Evgeni Malkin)
See all goals
«»This doesn't happen often. A lot has to come together for it to work out like this. Obviously, he has an amazing career, and it continues. He has achieved success. It's rare, appreciate moments like this,» the forward added.
The Washington captain noted that he was pleased to play against Crosby.
«It's always a pleasure to play against him. He's one of the best players in the league. The rivalry with Sid, between the Capitals and the Penguins, has always been at the highest level in the league,» Ovechkin said.
With the starting face-off, Ovechkin and Crosby will each have 19 seasons spent with the same club. By this indicator, they are the league record holders among active players. Both made their NHL debuts in the 2005/06 season. The record belongs to Canadian Alex Delvecchio, who played 24 championships with the Detroit Red Wings (until 1974).