Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin get a little heated

Although it would have been something to see Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin throw hands, things didn’t escalate to that level on Wednesday night. But, it looked like things were headed in that direction.

A divisional rivalry that’s gained plenty of layers due to the number of times the two sides have met in the postseason the last few years, there seemed to be something in the water from the initial drop of the puck.

Less than a minute in, Pittsburgh’s Jamie Oleksiak and Washington’s Tom Wilson dropped the gloves. Wilson handled the Penguins’ blueliner quickly and ignited tempers between the two benches.

And much to the surprise of many, Crosby and Ovechkin were right in the middle of it.

Yup. That’s a three-time Hart Trophy winner and the league’s top goal scorer screaming insults at a three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Conn Smythe winner.

The words exchanged remained just that, though, as not much came of any of this. However, according to what NBC’s commentator Pierre McGuire heard while situated between the benches, the idea of settling things with fists was tabled on a few occasions.

A couple of first overall picks that also wear the ‘C’ for their squads getting into a dust-up in the middle of the season? Whether you’re a fan of fighting in the sport or not, that would have been something else.

Bryan Rust’s second period goal proved to be the game winner as Pittsburgh came away with a 2-1 victory. And despite the hot start to the contest, the two sides only combined for 32 minutes in penalties when all was said and done.

The Capitals knocked out the Penguins in six games last spring on their way to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In 2017, Pittsburgh knocked out Washington in seven games and that playoff run ended with Lord Stanley’s mug over their heads. 2016? Yup. They met during that postseason, too. The Pens won that series in six games. And yup, they won the Cup that year as well.

You might not be crazy about the divisional playoff format, but based on the spiciness of this game and the history between the two sides, sign us up for more.

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