On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals tangled in what amounted to a meaningless game for the former. With the playoffs clinched, the Penguins turned in a dud as they lost 3-0 to their longtime rivals.
Most noteworthy is that it may have been the final game in the Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin rivalry. The Penguins showed the goalscoring king some love, though he did dodge a handshake line at the end as he mulls retirement. If this is the end of the road in a rivalry that has defined the NHL for two decades, it’s time to look back on some of the most memorable moments.
Honorable Mention – “O-VI” Chants in Pittsburgh (April 2025)
There is little doubt that fans of both teams have had their share of ire toward the other franchise. But on Apr. 17, 2025, the hometown crowd at PPG Paints Arena showed the proper respect to one of the game’s greats.
Just 11 days prior, Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 to make him the greatest to ever do it. During the first tv timeout, Penguins fans showered the new goal scoring king with chants of “O-VI! O-VI!”, a touching tribute to one of the franchise’s most legendary rivals.
5.) The International Showdown
Crosby has gotten the best of Ovechkin plenty of times, typically at the NHL level. But there is one such instance in which Crosby very clearly got the better end of things and that is on the international stage. They had both been dominating the NHL for years, but the showdown in February 2010 between Team Canada and Team Russia felt like a proving ground for each individual.
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In the quarterfinals, the two countries squared off – and neither player played a primary role in the outcome. Still, Canada advanced with a 7-3 win and set the stage for one of the most famous goals in Canadian hockey history – the Golden Goal in overtime of the gold medal game.
4.) The Caps Finally Break Through (May 2018)
Despite being a Penguins page, this list can’t be all skewed in favor of Crosby and the Penguins. For a long time, the Capitals had been great in the regular season only to fall short of expectations in the playoffs, particularly against the Penguins.
In May 2018, Ovechkin played a pivotal role in beating the Penguins in the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He scored the winner in Game 3 and set up the winning goals in Game’s 5 and 6 before ultimately leading the franchise to its first Stanley Cup championship a month later.
3.) Crosby Comes in Clutch (Game 7, 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals)
The first time the two met in the playoffs is one that will live on in the annals of history. It only felt natural that things would go to a Game 7, with one of the two superstars stealing the show. Ovechkin had his chance, but Crosby wound up being the difference-maker.
He scored a pair of power play goals while adding an assist as the Penguins won 6-2 and the series. That season would end the way they had envisioned: with a championship rematch against the Detroit Red Wings and a Game 7 win to give the franchise its third Stanley Cup.
2.) The First Meeting (Nov. 22, 2005)
Expectations were sky-high when the two debuted on Oct. 5, 2005. By the time Nov. 22 rolled around, everyone was eagerly awaiting the first matchup between the two. Neither of the burgeoning superstars would disappoint.
Ovechkin contributed an assist as the Capitals closed the gap late in the third period. Crosby, meanwhile, contributed a goal and an assist as the Penguins held on for an exciting 5-4 victory to set the tone for the rivalry.
1.) Playoff Hat Tricks (2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals)
Sending the Capitals home in Game 7 with a pair of goals would normally be enough to be the highlight of a series. But that was just the encore for what was the best game in the series and the most incredible moment in an otherworldly rivalry.
Crosby and Ovechkin traded goals back-and-forth until Ovechkin completed the hat trick to give the Capitals a 4-2 lead in the third period. Crosby, batting the puck out of midair, completed the hat trick to give the Penguins one last gasp at victory. Dueling hat tricks by young superstars is something the league could have only wished for but fans in Washington, D.C., were lucky enough to see it unfold in Game 2.
The End of an Era?
As the Penguins defy odds while the Capitals take a step back, it feels like the end of an era. Even if Ovechkin returns for one more season, the Capitals feel like they are in the middle of retooling while the Penguins are building for the future while contending in the present.
As fans, we have been incredibly lucky to see not one, but two generational talents come into the league at the same time. They saved hockey at a time when the league had been relegated to the Outdoor Life Network as an afterthought on the national stage, helping to carry the league to unprecedented heights in their two decades facing one another.
