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"Why don't you fight me?" - When Alex Ovechkin allegedly challenged Sidney Crosby to a brawl in heated exchange
On December 19, 2018, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby exchanged words and it looked like the fight would escalate. It was a tense physical game between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was because back then, these two teams were playing against each other in back-to-back playoffs.
Rivalries are common, but the Capitals-Penguins rivalry stands out. This is because two big names played for each side. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin got drafted into the NHL a year apart, in 2005 and 2004 respectively. They were the face of their franchise and carried by their passion to win. This was the reason behind their heated exchange.
Just seconds into the game, things got heated. Washington’s Tom Wilson and Pittsburgh’s Jamie Oleksiak dropped the gloves right after the first face-off. Wilson, known for his physical style, quickly won the fight, sending Oleksiak off the ice.
In a surprising moment, the two team captains, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, exchanged heated words on the ice. According to NBC commentator Pierre McGuire, who was between the benches, the exchange went like this:
Crosby: Why don't you fight him?
Ocechkin: Why don't you fight me? Stop talking.
Crosby and Ovechkin are famous for scoring goals, playmaking, and leading their teams, not for fighting. The tension between them showed how intense the game had become. But these were years of Penguins-Capitals rivalry boiling out.
In 2018, the Capitals knocked out the Penguins on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. But the Penguins won the Cup in 2016 and 2017 after eliminating the Capitals in a hard-fought series. These playoff battles had turned regular-season games into something personal.
Despite the tension, the game didn’t explode into a full brawl. The Penguins won the game 2-1 with Bryan Rust’s goal in the second period.
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are still impressive almost two decades later
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are nearing big career milestones. Crosby, with six goals and nine assists in 15 games, is just two goals away from 600 career goals. The Penguins, however, are struggling with a 5-8-2 record, placing them sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
Ovechkin has eight goals and eight assists in 12 games, leading the Capitals to a strong 9-3-0 record and third place in the division. He’s also approaching Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.
With 861 career goals, Ovechkin is 33 goals away from Gretzky’s 894-goal record. Both players remain central to their teams' success this season.
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