Do you think Ovechkin's legacy will improve over time?

[daver]

Ovechkin may well end up as the only Top20 player in history not to have another Hall of Fame teammate over the course of his entire career (except pre-retirement Fedorov). Backstrom, Green, Oshie, and Holtby are not making it.

It is no surprise that the Caps won in '18 when they were able to ice two very good lines vs. one loaded line. Kuzy playing well allowed the Caps to finally separate OV and Backstrom; their two best offensive forwards.

The Pens were always able to separate their two best forwards because Crosby could carry a line of lower depth chart forwards and produce world class numbers (in '09) or effectively play a 2-way C role (in '16).

Ovechkin could never carry a line on his own to a point where the Caps would load up a 2nd line. He lacked the offensive versatility.

It is also no surprise that when OV clearly played a more responsible defensive game in '18, the Caps won.

 

[Midnight Judges]

It's interesting to note that not only did Crosby face the most ES minutes against Lidstrom and Zetterberg in both '08 and '09, he also faced the most against Datsyuk in both years.

The Wings were essentially treating the Pens as a one line team in both years by throwing their three world class defenders against Crosby.

Every playoff series Alex Ovechkin has ever played has had that level of focus on him.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The Pens were always able to separate their two best forwards because Crosby could carry a line of lower depth chart forwards and produce world class numbers (in '09) or effectively play a 2-way C role (in '16).

Pens had Crosby and Malkin, Backstrom was OK but never Malkin-esque. I think I saw somewhere the Pens had a better record in games Crosby missed throughout his career.

I think the real key for the Pens is Malkin could carry a line with randoms at even strength. That's a gift very few teams get out of their 2nd best forward.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I would pretty comfortably take Lemieux first 5 years over Ovechkin first five years.

Goals: 1,1,4
Assists: 1, 2, 2,
Points: 1, 1, 2, 3
Hart : 1, 2, 2, 3
All-Star: 1, 1, 2, 2

All those 2s are behind prime Gretzky.

I'd take McDavid too, for whatever it's worth, but that's after 2010.

You would take McDavid's 1 Hart and 2 Pearsons over Ovechkin's 2 Harts and 3 Pearsons?

McDavid had a 4 point lead in points over second place and a 5 point lead over 3rd place, and was 8th in goals in those 5 years.

Ovechkin was 1st in points and 1st in goals by a wide margin.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Ovechkin could never carry a line on his own to a point where the Caps would load up a 2nd line. He lacked the offensive versatility.

That is not accurate.

Ovechkin had no problem scoring with Halpern, Kozlov, Ribeiro, Kuznetsov or Strome.

The reason Crosby and Malkin get split at ES is that they simply aren't that good together. Crosby needs wingers who will do the defensive lifting for him, otherwise it doesn't work. That's why Kunitz was a Canadian Olympian.