Any fan who has followed hockey over the past twenty years has seen two of the greatest players of all time face off time and time again.
And this season could just be the year we see both of them make history.
Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have been the faces of the National Hockey League since their debut seasons in 2005-06. Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming the all-time leading scorer, while Crosby has established himself as one of the best all-around players of all time.
Regardless of which team you root for this season, Crosby and Ovechkin are once again must-sees on television.
Will Ovi make it to 895?
© Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
It wasn’t long ago that Gretzky’s career goalscoring record of 894 seemed unbreakable. The next closest player to Gretzky, for the longest time, was Gordie Howe with 801.
Ovechkin has completely turned the tables.
During his NHL career, there was only one season – 2020-21 – in which Ovechkin scored fewer than 30 goals. He scored 24 that season, but played in only 45 games due to the shortened season and injuries.
Furthermore, he has been remarkably good at finding the net – even last season, at the age of 38.
Ovechkin has scored 50, 42 and 31 goals in the last three seasons, respectively. He currently has 853 all-time goals and needs 42 to break Gretzky’s record at age 39. Can he do it this season?
Forty-two goals is a lot to ask of a player on the threshold of 40, but no goalscorer has ever been as good as Ovechkin. If he stays fit all season – and keeps up the pace of his second-half performance last season – it is certainly possible that we could see him achieve the unthinkable this spring.
Will Crosby become the most consistent player of all time?
© Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
While it may not be as sexy as “greatest goal scorer of all time,” Crosby is chasing a nearly unbreakable record this season.
As it stands, only two players in NHL history — Gretzky and Crosby — have recorded 19 NHL seasons with or above points per game. Crosby will attempt to claim sole possession of the record this season by earning his 20th.
How hard is it to accomplish something like that? Well, to put it in perspective, the player who came closest to Gretzky was, again, Gordie Howe at age 17. However, Howe played 26 NHL seasons, while Crosby and Gretzky both managed to record 19 consecutive points-per-game seasons to start their respective careers.
So in Crosby’s case, he has literally never had an NHL season with fewer points per game, something no other player in NHL history has done. Furthermore, Crosby is the only player in NHL history to average about a point per game for 19 seasons, while Gretzky had 18 (Gretzky averaged exactly a point per game in 1994-95, when he scored 48 in 48).
If Crosby can break the tie this season, it would be a magnificent record for him: He’s already the symbol of consistent greatness in NHL history, and setting a record of his own that’s difficult for any player to match would be a tremendous reward for his remarkable longevity.
Regardless of what happens this season, hockey fans would be wise to watch every Penguins and Capitals game they can. Many have been fortunate enough to witness some of the greatest performances of all time for 20 years, and it remains to be seen whether two of the all-time greats will ever cement their place in the record books as such.
Related: Analysis of Crosby’s Chance at 2,000 Points
Related: Five Random Sidney Crosby Stats That Will Blow Your Mind
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