The eternal Crosby vs. Ovechkin discussion

Okay, here's another topic that has been chewed down to the bone. I just can't help taking part. I'll try to tell you what the others think, maybe even share my personal opinion. So, which one of these ultimate superstars is best?

First. If you talk to Canadians, well, you're on somewhat biased territory. Crosby has been stamped the best player since Gretzky and Lemieux since he's been a little kid. And by no means in vain. He's just terrific and if you think of the pressure, his career so far is even more amazing. The NHL is not the same as it was with the previous greats, so it's practically impossible for anyone to challenge e.g. Gretzky's records. Players and teams in general are just so much better and more evenly matched.

Also, if you talk with the traditionalists in hockey circles, the answer is pretty much always Crosby. The most praised hockey analysts are from the US and Canada. Their wisdom is quoted over and over by "lesser hockey nations". They speak English. An English speaking kid is by default easier to get a grip on. So let's go with Sid. Ovie has taken English language over with similar stunning fashion as he's taken the NHL. However, he's still the foreign kid.

Also, the older generation just cannot get over the cold war approach to eastern players, especially Russians. It sometimes is just hilarious when these guys go on and on in trying to generalize a Russian player with "bad habits" like low work ethics, diving, not being physical, obstructing with the stick, being individuals instead of team players etc. These analysts should be moved out of the throne and let younger knowledge take over the modern media.

I don't understand Russian, but it doesn't take much of a magician to guess that on that side of the "iron curtain" analysts opinions are somewhat opposite. In my native Finland, with somewhat intimate history with the Russians, most of the media follows blindly on the path of the North America. Exceptions exist and make the whole hockey coverage somewhat tolerable.

But let's put the politics aside and concentrate on these two guys. Crosby, as said before, was breed to become the face of the NHL. Ovechkin took most of the hockey world by surprise. Of course he hit the radar of all scouts, but his emergence from yet another Russian kid coming over to NHL to becoming the most thrilling force on the ice is as amazing as it comes. Easier path than Crosby's, especially on mental level. Who knows how the Russian athlete machinery came up with this masterpiece.

But how to compare these guys? Statistics, well, both have been leading the scoring for the last years. Consistency, both are very much present at every game. They may miss a beat here and there, but not for more than a game or two. Meaning to the team, both have taken the bottom feeder teams and practically carried the whole franchises from near bankrupcy and bottom of the standings to biggest cup contenders and the franchises with biggest fan following. Team sport, right?

So, what about the other angle? Which team would dive deeper if they lost the star? My guess, Washington. The fallback stars are Malkin in Pittsburgh and Semin&Bäckström in Washington. Malkin has proven that he can carry the team on tough spots, Semin has proven that he cannot. Bäckström is a mystery, but doesn't look like a leader, at least yet. Fantastic players, all of these anyway. Not a massive difference here either.

Let's dig into the details. Shot, Ovie, no question about it. Passing, Sid. Physicality, Ovie, duh. Shootouts, Sid, by far. Reckless penalties, Ovie. Losing the peer respect by talking, Sid. Jokes, Ovie. Classic boyschool interviews, Sid. Individual efforts, Ovie. Positioning, Sid.

On purely physical skills, Ovie takes the edge. On mental side it's Sid. Show value is just great for both.

So is there some kind of a conclusion? Not really. Every team would take either one of them and sacrifice half of the roster in doing so. The owners want to lock these guys for life. If a team needs a "lead-by-example" person, go with Sid. If you need someone to look up and in awe to raise the team spirits, go with Ovie.

My personal take. Well, for fantasy league, Ovie has an edge on producing it all, points, penalties. For Finnish national team, Crosby could show the next generation of players what it takes to make it to the absolute top. For a beer downtown, definitely Ovechkin. For a hardcore hockey follower, Sid. For an occasional fan, Ovie and his highlights.

In the end, what would be even more interesting than choosing the better one? What would these two do together on the line. Best center and best winger. Throw in some speedy bruiser with a goalmouth scoring touch and you'd get the line of a century. I'll keep my fingers crossed for all-stars game, as lame as it is..