The NHL regular season kicks off tonight, but we have to wait until Jan. 21 to get our first showdown between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin (in either a brilliant marketing stroke that will build anticipation to untold levels or the worst bit of scheduling this side of the Emmys). By a 71-29 percent margin, SportsNation feels the league would be better served by Ovechkin evening the championship score than by Crosby winning his second title. Regardless, the individual duel will rage on.

SportsNation blogger NYandMU likes Ovechkin and the Capitals to win the Eastern Conference, but the highest individual honors go to someone else entirely.

steelmafia43

The Penguins are gonna run the East for a long long time considering the best two players in the world (Crosby and Malkin) are 22 and 23 respectively. Not to mention Staal is the youngest at 21. In the four/five years they have been in the league they have won 2 Prince of Whales trophies, 2 Hart Trophies (even though Malkin has been nominated the last three years but somehow loses to Ovechkin), a Conn Smythe, Rookie of the year X2, X2 Art Ross trophies, and a little thing called the Stanley Cup.

-- SteelMafia43
pitthaus

the only thing alexander ovechkin is good for.....fantasy hockey

-- pitthaus

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