Crosby, Malkin of Penguins salute Ovechkin on 700th goal for Capitals

WASHINGTON-- Game recognizes game, even from different sides of a rivalry.

So Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins each made an effort Sunday to congratulate Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin on scoring his 700th NHL goal on Saturday.
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Crosby shook Ovechkin's hand and offered some kind words about his milestone after a ceremonial face-off prior to the Capitals' 5-3 win at Capital One Arena. Malkin waited until after the game, meeting Ovechkin at center ice, clasping hands with his Russian countryman and patting him on the shoulder while congratulating him.
"It means a lot," Ovechkin said. "We all respect each other. We're all happy for each other. If somebody sets a record or sets a milestone, that's why we play hockey."
Ovechkin became the eighth player in NHL history to reach 700 goals by scoring in the third period of a 3-2 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The 34-year-old joined Wayne Gretzky (894 goals), Gordie Howe (801), Jaromir Jagr (766), Brett Hull (741), Marcel Dionne (731), Phil Esposito (717) and Mike Gartner (708) in the 700-goal club.

"It's pretty impressive," Crosby said in explaining why he congratulated Ovechkin. "I think he scored 500 against us. What he's doing is unbelievable. We've played in the League for 15 years together, so…."
Ovechkin, the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and Crosby, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, entered the League together in 2005-06 and have had some memorable battles over the years. They faced each other for the 51st time in the regular season on Sunday.

Crosby and Malkin each scored, and Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet, but the Capitals won to improve to 20-24-7 in those 51 meetings. Tempers flared at times, including Malkin exchanging punches with Washington defenseman Brenden Dillon at the end of the first period, but Malkin put that aside after the final horn and waited at the red line to show respect to Ovechkin for his achievement.
"Before the whistle, we respect each other," Ovechkin said. "But as soon as the whistle [and] the puck drops, this comes around and different stuff [happens]."