NHL Gets Its Wet Dream – Crosby vs. Ovechkin

By Jason M. Williams

Once the Washington Capitals completed a thrilling series comeback win over the New York Rangers from down three games to one, the heads of the league watched the final period of the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Game 7 anxiously, hoping Carolina could rally to force a marquee ‘best case scenario‘ matchup in the second round – Sidney “The Next One” Crosby vs. Alex “The Great” Ovechkin.

A miraculous two-goal flurry in the final 1:20 stole the series victory for the Canes and sent the NHL brass into a dizzying climax once they realized that they had their two biggest superstars set to do battle head-to-head in the second round.

Ovechkin was the can’t-miss Russian superstar that would be the prize of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, while Crosby followed the following year as the North American hero, headlining the 2005 Draft. Both of these elite players have been used as iconic faces to redefine the post-lockout era of the league, and neither prodigy has disappointed.

Crosby powered his way into the league, posting a 102-point rookie season, an MVP award in his second season, and then led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals in his third season.  In the same time frame, Ovechkin posted a 106-point rookie season, an MVP last year, a nominee for this year’s MVP trophy, and has scored an astounding 219 goals in his first four seasons (324 games). Wow.

Clearly, these two stars have helped put the NHL back on the map.  Now they will line up against one another for the first time in what figures to be an instant classic, each battling to continue their trek toward capturing the Stanley Cup.  League executives can only close their eyes and pray that this wet dream of a rivalry will continue to grow year after year.