Alex the Great vs. Sid the Kid

A battle of epic proportions right in front of our eyes. Fans dreamed of seeing Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux go head to head in playoff action but never got the chance. For this generation, however, fans do get that chance albeit with the "New NHL's" version of all-stars.

Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins up against Alexander the Great and the Washington Capitals. Crosby versus Ovechkin - it really doesn't get much better than that.

Two of the best players to lace up the skates in recent years, and two guys who at this pace will be automatic locks for the Hockey Hall of Fame in a few decades. And since joining the National Hockey League, these two have had quite the rivalry - both trying to earn sole possession of the arguable distinction of being the "Best Player in the NHL".

Fans and league officials have dreamed of a playoff battle between these two and they've got it with this year's NHL Eastern Conference Semi Final. The hype surrounding this series was at an all-time high and will undoubtedly surpass that of this year's Stanley Cup Finals.

Through two games, the Capitals lead the series 2-0, but the question on everyone's mind... has it lived up to the hype? The simple answer - Hell Yea!

Crosby and Ovechkin have poured their hearts and soul into this series. They've provided some memorable moments and left fans sitting on the edge of their seats with excitement. Then again, it shouldn't come as any surprise since these two are electrifying athletes.

So how do they compare through the first two games...

Game One

Sidney Crosby: 1 Goal, +1
Alexander Ovechkin: 1 Goal, -1

Game Two

Sidney Crosby: 3 Goals, +1
Alexander Ovechkin: 3 Goals, +2

It's unreal to see just how well these two superstars have played and it seems like they've just lifted their game to a whole new level now that they're facing each other. Of course, we have to give the advantage to Ovechkin since his team is up two games to none, though really, that's only because of one man and his name is Simeon Varlamov.

I don't have to tell you how good this kid has been in between the pipes for the Caps. He's been lightning in a bottle for this franchise since replacing Jose Theodore for the start of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final. He's played much better than Marc-Andre Fleury this series and there's that save that I posted a few blog entries down that just sums that all up.

The series now shifts to Pittsburgh and I can't wait to see what Sid the Kid and Alex the Great will have up their sleeve for Games Three and Four.