Ovechkin vs Crosby milestone

Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby faced each other for the 100th time on Sunday, a two-decade matchup that reached triple digits at Capital One Arena. (nhl.com) The milestone game came one day after the 100th meeting was delayed when Pittsburgh scratched Crosby before a 6-3 Washington win on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. Crosby returned Sunday, and the two captains took the opening faceoff. (apnews.com) (nhl.com) Washington beat Pittsburgh 3-0 on Sunday behind 24 saves from Logan Thompson in what the Associated Press described as perhaps Ovechkin’s final home game. The Capitals had also beaten the Penguins 6-3 on Saturday, giving the rivalry a back-to-back weekend coda in April 2026. (apnews.com) (espn.com) Both players entered the National Hockey League in 2005-06 after Ovechkin went first in the 2004 draft and Crosby went first in the 2005 draft. Their careers then ran in parallel through 21 seasons, with Crosby centered on playmaking and Ovechkin on goal scoring. (hockey-reference.com) (nhl.com) The rivalry also shaped the Stanley Cup race. Crosby and Ovechkin met in four playoff series — 2009, 2016, 2017 and 2018 — and the winner of each series went on to win the Cup that same year. (nhl.com) Crosby won championships with Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017, while Ovechkin broke through with Washington in 2018. In those 25 head-to-head playoff games, Ovechkin recorded 33 points and Crosby had 30. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The timing added another layer because Ovechkin’s future remains unsettled. He said last week he would decide in the offseason whether to return for 2026-27, and Washington treated Sunday as a possible farewell at home. (nytimes.com) (apnews.com) Ovechkin already changed one piece of league history before this weekend, passing Wayne Gretzky with his 895th goal on April 6, 2025. Crosby, meanwhile, still held the National Hockey League record this season for career point-per-game campaigns, according to National Hockey League statistics published this week. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) By Sunday afternoon, the count that started with two No. 1 picks in the post-lockout era had reached 100 games, with Crosby back in the lineup and Ovechkin still at home ice. The opening draw turned a long-running rivalry into a clean round number. (nhl.com)