Tuesday Thoughts

Last night's game was incredibly intense and exciting - it's hard to get all your thoughts together at once. Here's a few more:

- With Crosby out, Versus was really hyping up this battle of Ovechkin vs. Malkin because...I don't know why. Maybe they feel like every hockey game needs an angle to be interesting. Not only were they right on the money with that one (for once) but every minute that passed and every goal that was scored made you wonder why this wasn't the rivalry the NHL targeted in the first place.

Crosby and Ovechkin? Completely different creatures. They score goals differently, they approach the game differently, they collect points and lead their teams and interact with their teammates differently. Both incredibly, stunningly talented players but different and really beyond comparison

Ovechkin and Malkin on the other hand are incredibly similar. Watching them battle it out on both ends of the ice last night was a show for the ages, a treat for any true hockey fan. In the coming years that is going to be be a rivalry to watch - and to me it's much more interesting than any battle Ovechkin and Crosby have had since coming into the league.

- Had Ovechkin connected with that hit on Malkin it would have been one for the highlight reels. With the miss it was one that made the collective hearts of all Caps fans leap into our throats. Alex, we love you, but please do not kill yourself trying to behead a Penguin. It's just not worth it.

- Give the Versus guys a lot of credit. They did do a fair amount of Sid-spotting (and if I never hear the words "high ankle sprain" again it'll be too soon) but they also did a good job of trying to include all the players on both teams. One word of advice though - when the Penguins score a goal, maybe focus on the guys who actually did the work instead of cutting to a shot of Crosby in the press box. He had nothing to do with it...he's good, but even he's not that good.

- Speaking of the Versus guys, why did they sound so surprised everytime Ovechkin or Malkin did something amazing? This just in, they're both very talented players. Is this seriously a newsflash?

- Brian Engblom's hair gets poofier and thinner with every broadcast.

- Mario Lemieux's hair gets greasier with every game...and now he's passed on his hair gel issues to Sid.

- How many people laughed when Semin scored the shootout winner and accidentally opened Johnny's door in his celebration, releasing the backup goalie onto the ice?