Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin is a enjoyable debate with an apparent reply: Penguins mailbag

STOCKHOLM — Greetings from Sweden, the place the Pittsburgh Penguins have been residing for practically per week.

I wouldn’t dare go away Stockholm with out one other mailbag. You can learn the earlier installment right here.

Great questions this month, which I all the time recognize.

Away we go.

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Ten years from now, who will find yourself being thought of by the hockey group because the larger participant? Ovi or Sid? — @FarmingtonSteve

I’ve to assume the reply is Sidney Crosby.

Alex Ovechkin is likely one of the 10 best gamers ever, and his mixture of objective scoring and brute pressure is like nothing the sport has ever seen. Young Ovi was really a pressure of nature. He’s nonetheless managed to attain at a outstanding charge: His objective totals in his 30s are virtually an identical to these in his 20s, which is mind-blowing. I’d recommend, nonetheless, that he was a far, much more dominant participant in his 20s. Still, I’m taking nothing away from him. He’s among the finest scorers who ever lived, and a few will say he was the best. He’s No. 1 on the NHL’s all-time targets record for a cause. He gained his Stanley Cup. He’s accomplished all of it. I’ve nothing however respect for all the things he completed. He’s the rock star of all NHL rock stars.

He’s nonetheless not Crosby, although.

While it’s true Ovechkin will end his profession with extra targets than Crosby, I can’t say he was the higher participant. Crosby was the higher playmaker and defensive participant. He was higher down low and on the frenzy. He performed a naturally extra necessary place and was higher in worldwide play and the playoffs. He has additionally been a greater participant for longer.

I’d additionally contemplate head-to-head battles between the 2. Granted, Crosby has all the time performed on the higher staff internationally, however:

• Crosby has two Olympic gold medals; Ovechkin has zero.

• Crosby scored arguably essentially the most well-known objective in Olympic (or hockey) historical past.

• Ovechkin by no means had a giant Olympic second (the World Championships are sometimes a B-list match, so I don’t take something Crosby or Ovechkin did there very severely).

• Crosby has extra factors in head-to-head matchups versus Ovechkin, 127-100.

• Crosby’s Penguins have defeated Ovechkin’s Capitals in three of their 4 playoff conferences.

Ultimately, I can’t ignore that Crosby has gained 20 playoff collection and Ovechkin has gained 11, and that Crosby has been to the convention finals 5 occasions. Ovechkin has accomplished this solely as soon as.

Crosby’s capacity to raise his play in crucial moments, to me, is what places him excessive greater than something. There is one thing maybe extra naturally thrilling and enthralling about how Ovechkin performed, particularly when he was younger. It was theater.

But ask your self: Whether it’s in 2009, 2017 or 2025, when you wanted to win one recreation, or one collection, and will decide Crosby or Ovechkin, which might you decide? The sturdy majority of goal individuals who perceive the sport would choose Crosby each time, with out hesitation.

What would have occurred if Jaromir Jagr signed with the Penguins in 2011? How would which have modified issues, in your opinion? — @letangcult

I take into consideration this usually. While all of us needed it to occur on the time — there are nice tales, after which there may be that — I don’t assume it will have labored. Jagr was nonetheless terrific, however the Penguins have been so top-heavy and so disinterested in enjoying protection that season that I don’t know if he would have helped the last word trigger all that a lot.

They led the league in targets that season however misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs as a result of they gave up 30 targets in six video games within the first spherical. Do you assume Jagr’s presence would have modified that quantity? I don’t.

I nonetheless want I might have seen it, although.

Probability Geno stays on the Pens if they aren’t within the playoff hunt on the deadline? — @RupePSU

I feel there’s a 99 % likelihood Evgeni Malkin is on the staff on the finish of the season, no matter what occurs. It’s wildly unlikely he’d go wherever. Florida makes some sense due to Aleksander Barkov’s damage and Panthers coach Paul Maurice’s slobbering over Malkin final month.

But it’s nonetheless extraordinarily unlikely. I simply assume he retires in Pittsburgh.

With the Penguins having $48 million in cap house subsequent offseason and with the UFA class weakened by the signings of McDavid, Eichel, Kaprizov, Connor, and Necas to it being a fairly dismal by way of younger impression free brokers does it even make sense to deal Rakell, Rust, or EK65? — @bruru90

Really fascinating level. The NHL has truly gotten sort of boring in that its greatest gamers are seemingly all staying put now.

So, July 1 is turning into an actual snooze and a robust alternative to make dangerous investments.

Still, it’s all about excessive draft picks and high quality prospects for the Penguins. As it ought to be. Load up on a younger, proficient staff, and hold it collectively for a very long time. It’s the way in which to go.

Have you ever tried Swedish Meatballs? — @Malginholics

When I went to Sweden for the primary time again in May, I made it a degree to have Swedish meatballs be the very first thing I ever tasted in Sweden. They have been high-quality. The cinnamon bread is 1,000,000 occasions higher.

Any recommendation on study to observe hockey with a crucial eye? — @SilverScizor19

What an awesome query. It’s an extremely troublesome sport to observe with a crucial eye. I do my greatest, however I nonetheless ask Phil Bourque and Colby Armstrong for info throughout video games fairly a bit. People who’ve performed the game are all the time going to see issues that others don’t.

That mentioned, if I needed to provide recommendation, whenever you’re at a recreation, watch folks after they don’t have the puck. It’s tougher than it sounds. Finding the puck is the intuition. But when you prepare your self to observe what everybody else is doing, you’ll study a ton.

Do you’ve a favourite Christmas tune, and in that case, what’s it? — @Cgibson724

I like Christmas music. Every lady I’ve ever been in a relationship with has change into aggravated at how a lot Christmas music I take heed to throughout the holidays. Ha ha. Whatever. It places me in temper.

In phrases of conventional Christmas songs, I like so many. High on the record are “Silver Bells,” “Carol of the Bells” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” Oh, and it will get no higher than David Bowie and Bing Crosby doing their factor. If you know, you know.

John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” whereas not a conventional Christmas tune by any stretch, can be a private favourite.

What is the very best dinner entree that you could cook dinner? — @JamesCucinelli

Watching me cook dinner is like watching the Penguins making an attempt to guard a giant lead. It’s actually uncomfortable for everybody, and a variety of unconventional issues occur.

My girlfriend likes this steak salad that I cook dinner. It consists of steak, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, extra bacon, lettuce, olives, peppers, pine nuts and some different assorted objects. I don’t like half the issues I put in it, so I make that half particularly for her. My 7-year-old palate prefers the steak and bacon, and never a lot else.

Apparently, this can be a meal that I haven’t screwed up. So there may be that.

Best journey ideas? And the place can be your dream trip vacation spot? — @AndrewTrapp

My solely journey tip is to bypass these 6 a.m. flights. Spare me the discuss eager to get to a vacation spot early to take pleasure in a full first day there.

If you’re waking up at 3:30 a.m. to go to the airport, it’s not day. You’ll simply need to sleep all day, regardless of the place you’re going.

Dream vacation spot? I’ve heard sufficient superb issues about Italy that I really must get there. So I suppose that’s on the prime of the record. I’d additionally like to go down underneath to Australia.

I additionally must make my manner again to Hawaii, which I like. And Yinzer that I’m, the Outer Banks all the time seems like residence.

Who is your favourite rookie Penguin you’ve ever coated? — @CWhitney29

Truth be advised, there haven’t been many rookies on this staff over time. Ha.

Beau Bennett might be my favourite rookie persona I coated. He places the capital C in cool. He’s not possible to dislike.

I loved Bryan Rust from the very starting, and nonetheless do. Even as a rookie, he had an accountable, skilled manner about him. And nonetheless does.

Ben Kindel is kind of a hockey participant and a delight to take care of. He’s rising briskly on my record.

Would you go to Sweden once more? — @drichey87

Oh yeah. In reality, I’m subsequent 12 months. My new Swedish associates, Alvin and Ellen, are getting married in 2026 and have invited me to their marriage ceremony.

How might I say no? Not solely are they pleasant folks, however Alvin got here by for all of us Yinzers who needed to observe Steelers-Bengals on the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm on Sunday.

Alvin is a legend.

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Thanks once more for all the nice questions. May your Thanksgiving preparations be going properly. Lots of protection is on the way in which this week, and I’ll be at each residence video games this weekend in opposition to the Wild and Kraken.