Which of the big three — Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin — faces the most pressure in these playoffs?
Burnside: I think it’s Alex Ovechkin. Evgeni Malkin held off Ovechkin for the scoring title and Crosby has already taken his team to the Stanley Cup finals, not to mention winning a scoring title. In the grand scheme of things, Ovechkin is far behind his two rivals given that the Caps haven’t won a playoff series since they went to the 1998 Cup finals. Hradek: Ovechkin. His team isn’t the feisty underdog this time. They’re expected to cruise through their first-round series against the Rangers and challenge for the conference crown. The weight of those lofty expectations will fall squarely on A.O.’s broad shoulders. LeBrun: Ovechkin. He’s got a ton of individual accolades already in his young career, including a Hart Trophy and possibly a second in June. But what he doesn’t have is much of a playoff résumé. He has played seven games in total and his team lost last season to Philadelphia. Malkin and Crosby have gone to a Cup finals. I think there’s tremendous pressure on Ovechkin to get
