Mark Madden: Forever linked, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin are still faces of the NHL

Tuesday’s matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin wasn’t enthralling statistically: Crosby got two assists but remained two goals away from 500 on his career. Ovechkin went pointless and has scored just once in his last 14 regular-season games vs. the Penguins.

It didn’t much matter in terms of grabbing attention for the NHL, because ESPN put the game on streaming, not the Worldwide Leader.

That’s stupid. Crosby and Ovechkin are the faces of hockey, even at 34 and 36, respectively. Connor McDavid is 25, has better stats and plays a fast, spectacular style. But McDavid plays in Western Canada and has won just one playoff series in seven seasons.

Until McDavid wins, casual fans still will think of Crosby and Ovechkin first. (Or until McDavid moves to someplace like New York. Or until Crosby and Ovechkin retire.)

Crosby didn’t get closer to 500. Ovechkin didn’t get closer to Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time goals leader at 894. Ovechkin is at 759 and has a shot if he stays healthy.

Crosby and Ovechkin are both nailed-on Hockey Hall of Famers.

But 500 goals don’t quite mean what they used to.

Scoring 500 goals used to guarantee entry to the hall. But there are five 500-goal scorers who are eligible but not in. (Forty-five players have scored 500 goals.)

Pat Verbeek, for example, was a fine, fiery winger from 1983-2002. But it took him 1,424 games and 20 seasons to get 522 goals. That’s 26 goals per season. Not bad but not outstanding. (Great nickname: “The Little Ball of Hate.”)

Different styles played in different eras using different equipment produce different stats.

Wayne Gretzky scored 500 goals in 575 games to get there fastest. Mario Lemieux came next, doing it in 605 games. Then Mike Bossy at 647 games.

Crosby has played 1,073 games so far. Ovechkin’s 759 goals have come in 1,243 games.

If not for injury and illness, Lemieux would have challenged Gretzky’s mark.

Lemieux had 690 goals in 915 games. In 1996-97, the season before he retired for the next three-and-a-half, Lemieux netted 50 times. If he averages 40 goals during his idle period, that puts Lemieux at approximately 830. Take away cancer and back problems, he might push 1,000. Ovechkin could be chasing Lemieux, and futilely.

But what happened, happened. Lemieux was ennobled by everything he conquered. His legend was burnished. It’s a better story.

In terms of the eye test, Lemieux is the best goal-scorer ever. He had all the tricks of the trade.

My top five NHL players ever are: Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Gretzky (in any order), then Crosby and Gordie Howe (in any order).

But if Ovechkin catches Gretzky, or even passes Howe in second place at 802 goals, there’s no way to keep Ovechkin off my list. (Not that Ovechkin cares what I think.)

It’s tough to compare Crosby and Ovechkin. They play different positions and use different methods. But they will always be linked, having careers with an exactly parallel timeline and battling each other in so many meaningful, memorable situations.

It’s also difficult to compare Crosby and Lemieux. They stand together at the top of Pittsburgh hockey’s mountaintop. But it’s hard to find anyone who puts Crosby first, me included.

The only way that could change would be if Crosby wins a fourth Stanley Cup. I’d still rank Lemieux first. But we definitely could have meaningful discussion.