Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin may be the best of rivals on the ice, but off it the two Russian superstars have always shown each other the utmost respect.
While both players are revered in their home country, Ovechkin has always been viewed as Russia's top player, while Malkin is a very close second. However, in the Stanley Cup column, it's Malkin who has the upperhand on Ovechkin, boasting three rings to zero. Speaking with the press during his day with the cup back home in Russia, Malkin expressed how he hopes that one day Ovi will get his chance to win a championship, too.
Sure, that may sound a little odd considering the bitter rivalry between the Capitals and the Penguins, but it just goes to show how much Malkin respects his follow countryman and friend. As for the luck part. Yeah right, Geno. You're never going to have us believing that luck had anything to do with you winning three Stanley Cups.
Malkin may be "lucky" in the sense that he gets to play with Sidney Crosby year-in-year-out, but Geno has been an absolute beast in the playoffs for the Penguins and has been a vital part of their cup success.
