The Great 8

Shortly before Drew Brees and Peyton Manning combined for a record 63 completions in last night's Super Bowl, another epic battle in the world of sports was waged. Alexander Ovechkin faced off against Sidney Crosby when the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. Drafted number one and two overall respectively, the friction between these two young superstars has only intensified over the course of their five year careers. The relationship between these two players has excitingly progressed into one of the most intense rivalries in recent sports history.

In this particular game, Ovechkin's Capitals saw the Penguins go up 4-1 midway through the 2nd period, with the nemesis Crosby scoring two of the four goals. Despite the deficit, Ovechkin led his team back into the game by netting a three goals (one in the 2nd period and two in the third), and sent the game into overtime as the Capitals turned the tables on the Penguins. Riding this wave of momentum, Mike Knuble was able to score in overtime to put the game away for good. Guess who assisted him...

This four point (3 goals and 1 assist) spectacle by "Alexander the Great" wasn't anything new for the young Russian. Ovechkin has been doing wondrous things on the ice throughout his entire career. From scoring a goal on his back in Phoenix in 2006, to making New York Rangers defensemen look utterly silly in last year's playoffs, the Alexander Ovechkin Show never ends. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year), he has been selected to every All Star roster he has been eligible for, and he has won the Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL's Most Valuable Player) in both 2008 and 2009.

Aside from his momentous on-ice feats, he also leads quite an interesting life off the ice. He has not been shy about driving his car over 100 mph around the D.C. area, or smooching blonde women at Washington Wizards games. His athletic ability is so prolific, that even when he leisurely tries his hand (for the first time) at a game of golf, miraculous things happen (See below) His adept mastery of the game of hockey coupled with his off-ice persona make him one of the most intriguing and exciting athletes of the modern era. All we have to do is sit back and watch...