Brash And Bold : Not Bird and Magic, But A Great Match Up On The Ice

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Back in 2009, when Crosby and Ovechkin first met in a playoff game, it was billed as the next Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson Rivalry. And that great series made it look like it was going to be just that. The Crosby vs. Ovechkin match up was great in that 7 game series with dueling hat tricks and and a combined 27 points. However, the two have not met in the playoffs since 2009. And even though they have combined to win 5 of the last 9 MVP Awards, this is no Bird/Magic Rivalry. Bird and Magic racked up titles, Crosby and Ovechkin have not. They have 1 title between them, and it belongs to Crosby.
So who are these two really like if they are not a Bird/Magic Rivalry? According to a great article in the Washington Post today, more like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. And I agree. Both fan bases adore their hero, and dislike the other. If they were in the NFL, the marketing would be similar to Manning/Brady. Although I do acknowledge that Ovechkin gets more respect from Pens fans than Crosby gets from Caps fans. (Although I do love living in DC, I will tell you that Caps fans just aren't very respectful, period. They are more Ovechkin fans than hockey fans. That is the main difference between the two fan bases.)
And although I agree with the Manning/Brady analogy, there is one strong point that is ultimately missed. This series is not about Crosby and Ovechkin. This series is about the Penguins and the Capitals. The media likes to build and promote rivalries, and I understand why. But that strategy doesn't always fit well with hockey. Unlike Bird and Magic, or Manning and Brady, Crosby and Ovechkin are not playing during the entire game. Hockey is the ultimate team sport. Even hockey super stars don't see much longer than 20 minutes of ice time in an hour of game time. Fans need to know and root for more than just a couple of players. They need to root for an entire team.
Rivalries aside, if you look at the two teams, this looks to be a great match up. Even though the Caps have a strong defense, they will struggle with the speed and shooting power of the Pens. Holtby, the Caps goalie, has had a great year. But the Pens could get into his head. If that happens, the Caps are done. The Pens defense matches up well with the Caps offense. The only weak link might be at goalie. Going deeper into the playoffs without Fleury is a little scary. As of the writing of this blog, Murray will be in the net for the Pens tonight. Murray has done well, but the Caps are not the Rangers. He will be challenged. As for the Power Play, the two teams look fairly evenly matched. The Caps Power Play seemed to dry up in their last three games against the Flyers. Pens fans can hope that it continues to stay dry.
My Prediction: It'll be a great, high flying series. The Penguins will take the Capitals in 6 games. Then they will face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals.