A is for Alex, as in Ovechkin, the adversary who once seemed to be Sidney Crosby’s nemesis but seems less so now 11 years after they arrived in the NHL. True, Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy over Crosby in their rookie seasons and has more goals and points (525 goals and 966 points versus 338 and 938, respectively), more all-star recognition (six first teams and four second teams versus four and two) and a bigger contract (13 years at $124 million versus 12 years at $104.4).

Still, you have to think, “What might have been?” In their biggest matchups, Crosby has prevailed every time. In the 2005 world juniors final, Canada routed the Russians, and Ovechkin watched the last two periods from the bench. In the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinal, Crosby scored twice in the Penguins’ game-seven win over the Capitals. In the 2010 Olympic quarterfinals, Canada thrashed the Russians 7–3. In the 2015 World Championship, Crosby’s Canadian side knocked off Russia. And in the 2016 World Cup, with Crosby picking up a goal and two assists, Canada beat Russia 5–3 in the semifinal and held Ovechkin pointless and to a single forgettable shot.

A vignette that tells all: Ovechkin came out to the Air Canada Centre’s conference room to take questions from the media after that most recent loss and was sitting stone-faced, not speaking much above a whisper. Two minutes into yet another disappointment-soaked deposition, Crosby entered the room and took centre stage. Neither said the other’s name. Ovechkin only allowed himself the tiniest glance at the smiling Crosby at the podium as he exited the room.

It was presumed that Crosby and Ovechkin would go head-to-head every year, but it hasn’t quite played out that way: Crosby missed time with injury, the aforementioned 2009 Eastern Conference semifinal stands as the only time Ovechkin’s Caps have met Crosby’s Pens in the playoffs, and the much-anticipated Canada-Russia game in Sochi in 2014 never happened because the hosts lost in the quarterfinals to Finland.