“Alexander the Great?” More like, “Alexander the Overrated.”

Logan on 03 24, 2009

For the last couple months all we’ve heard about is, “Who’s better, Kobe or LeBron?” Well let’s switch sports here for a second and discuss an equally intriguing debate. Who is better, “Sid the kid” or “Alexander the Great?” For years even before Sidney Crosby entered the league, he was the talk of the hockey world, being compared to some of the greatest ever to lace up their skates. And for the first few years of Sidney’s career, he flashed that “greatest of all-time” potential and really brought Pittsburgh into the list of elite teams of the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin leads the league in goals scored this year with 50 through 70 games, and has been tremendous overall for the Washington Capitals, but don’t be that casual hockey fan who only focus’ on that gaudy and sometimes overrated statistic.

Sidney Crosby is still only 21 years old, so plenty of time to continue growing here. Remember he does have a mere three years of experience under his belt and is already his team’s captain on the ice. Drafted 1st overall in round one of the 2005 draft, Crosby has ignited the Penguin turnaround, which saw them go from 23-47-8 during the 2003-04 season to 47-24-11 in 2006-07 and finally 47-27-8 in 2007-08. Crosby can be attributed for this success as much as anyone on that roster during that time-frame.

Former 1st overall pick of the 2004 NHL Draft, Ovechkin, also has three years of experience, and has been the heart and soul of the Capitals during his time with the team. Ovechkin has been such a consistent weapon at that LW position for Washington during his three years, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore his tremendous talent.

When comparing career statistics between Crosby and Ovechkin, you’ll notice that Alexander has played in more games each of his three years with the exception of their rookie seasons in which they both played in 81, proving to be the more durable of the two. Sure, Ovechkin has 213 goals in only 315 games, an incredibly impressive stat, but Crosby has a large lead in career assists (260 in 280 GP vs. Ovechkin’s 190 in 315 GP). However, the statistic that I want to focus on is each player’s +/- rating. The +/- stat is calculated by keeping track of even and short-handed goals scored. When an even or short-handed goal is scored, every player on the ice during the goal gets a + or -. The goal scoring team obviously getting the plus. After combining the plus and minus’, you have each player’s rating. This stat is used to essentially gauge a player’s defensive ability. During the course of Ovechkin’s career, he has posted a 2, -19, 28 and this year an 11 through 70 games, or a +22 for his career. Crosby’s line is as follows: -1, 10, 18 and 7 this year. The Penguins were awful in Crosby’s first year, so I like to look past that first -1. Sid the Kid features a +34 for his career. Through his first 3 seasons, he averaged a +9 ratio, Ovechkin, has a career +22 ratio and averaged +3.7 through his first three complete seasons.

Another point overlooked by some casual hockey observers is the fact that these two players play different positions. Ovechkin plays the LW position while Crosby mans the C spot. Crosby runs the attack for Pittsburgh, and has so many assists due to his role as the point guard of the offense so to speak. If we’re going to be so caught up in Alexander’s goal total, we have to keep in mind that Crosby doesn’t necessarily focus on that when in the game.

Give me Sidney Crosby in this argument. Crosby is only 21 years of age and is still getting better. Ovechkin is 23 and is a great goal scorer, but if I’m starting a franchise then Crosby is my guy. This is like comparing Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard from an NBA standpoint, they each are great at what they do, but they do different things. Both bring something to the table, but much like Wade, Crosby has the ability to make his teammates better. I’ll take Sid the Kid over Ovechkin’s astounding goal total.