Since Alex Ovechkin debuted in the 2005-06 NHL season, he has played in 1,504 regular-season games, scored a record 900 goals and won one Stanley Cup.
Since Sidney Crosby debuted in the 2005-06 NHL season, he has played in 1,366 regular-season games, scored 1,704 points (ninth all time), and won three Stanley Cups.
Both are first-ballot, elite-tier Hall of Famers when they stop playing. Thursday’s game between Ovi’s Washington Capitals and Sid’s Pittsburgh Penguins will be their 74th regular-season matchup and 99th overall — and could be one of the hockey world’s last chances to catch them against one another.
To help get you ready for the showdown (7:30 p.m. ET, exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu), here’s a guide on the key players to watch for each team, including in-depth statistical insights from ESPN Research, along with broadcast information.
Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+/HuluPPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh)
Capitals
Record: 7-5-1Power ranking: 10Leading scorer: Tom Wilson (8 G, 7 A)
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Notes from ESPN Research
Ovechkin has 266 goals more than any other active player; Crosby is second on that list, with 634.
Including playoffs, Ovechkin has scored 977 goals, 23 away from joining Wayne Gretzky (1,016) as the only members of the 1,000-goal club including postseason.
Wilson’s 15 points this season lead the team, and are tied for his most through his first 13 games in a season (2018-19). Since his debut in the league in 2013-14, he has the sixth-most hits (2,536).
Dylan Strome has 225 points since joining the Capitals in 2022-23, which is the most on the team in that span.
John Carlson has 158 assists on Ovechkin’s goals, the most by a defenseman on a teammate’s goals all-time. Bobby Orr is second — 130 with Phil Esposito — while Penguins blueliner Kris Letang is third, with 125 to Sidney Crosby.
Logan Thompson has allowed two or fewer goals in all nine of his starts to begin the season. With one goal allowed on Wednesday, he became the fifth goaltender over the past 20 years to allow two or fewer goals against in nine consecutive appearances to begin his season. The others: Andrew Hammond (13 games played in 2014-15), Brian Elliott (12 GP in 2011-12), Josh Harding (nine GP in 2013-14) and Nikolai Khabibulin (nine GP in 2011-12).
Penguins
Record: 8-4-2Power ranking: 7Leading scorer: Evgeni Malkin (3 G, 16 A)
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Notes from ESPN Research
Crosby’s nine goals are tied for his third most over the first 14 games of a season in his career. It also happened in 2007-08 and 2009-10, and this trails the 14 he scored in 14 games in 2016-17 and 10 in 2023-24.
His 1,704 career points are ninth all time and 20 away from passing Mario Lemieux (1,723) not only for eighth all time but for the most in Penguins franchise history.
Malkin’s 19 points are the second most through 14 games among players age 39 or older in NHL history, trailing Gordie Howe’s 23 through 14 games at age 40 in 1968-69.
Erik Karlsson has 11 points in his past 10 games. That’s tied for second among defensemen (Lane Hutson) since the span began Oct. 16, trailing Cale Makar’s 13.
Letang has played 1,009 games with Crosby, the sixth-most by a forward-defenseman duo in NHL history; they just broke a tie with Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe on Monday.
Based on shot quality and quantity, Arturs Silovs has the third-best goals saved above expected in the NHL this season at +5.3, behind only Connor Hellebuyck (+6.3) and Elvis Merzlikins (+5.9), per Stathletes.
