ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) – Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin will be the headline of most stories about the Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals playoff series.
The transcendent superstars of the NHL meeting in the playoffs for the first time in seven years and the second time in their careers will do that.
“Of course everyone look at it (as) Crosby-Ovi,” Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov said. “It’s Pittsburgh against Washington, right?”
Shine the spotlight and train the cameras on Crosby and Ovechkin, but Kuznetsov is right: The two top teams in the Eastern Conference have so much talent that the series won’t be decided by just those two players.
Pittsburgh has fellow Russian star Evgeni Malkin, American sniper Phil Kessel and Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman Kris Letang, while Washington has Swedish sensation Nicklas Backstrom, Kuznetsov and goaltender Braden Holtby, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.