Jan 14th 2009 7:25AM by Eric McErlain (author feed)

Later today, Adam Gretz and I will be posting a dialog about tonight’s game between the Capitals and Penguins in Pittsburgh. It’s a match that’s been hotly anticipated for some time, fueled in large part by an interview that Washington’s Alexander Semin gave to Puck Daddy where he had some choice observations about Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and his place in the promotion of the NHL.

Starting when Crosby and Ovechkin broke into the league a couple of years ago, these meetings have always been cast as a clash between the two, but the facts on the ground, or should I say the ice, have changed. If anything, it seems as if Ovechkin and Crosby respect each other as worthy opponents. But if you want real bad blood, look no further than the smoldering rivalry between Ovechkin and his countryman, Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin.Continue Reading