Crosby bests Ovechkin as Penguins drop Caps

Sid the Kid was booed loudly by Washington’s fans all game.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins got the better of Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, just like they always do.

Crosby set up the go-ahead goal on a power play, Ovechkin was held without a point for the first time this season, and Pittsburgh beat Washington 2-1 Saturday night.

The Penguins won for the second night in a row; the Capitals have dropped four consecutive games after opening the season 3-0.

It was the ninth NHL meeting between two of the league’s young superstars, and the Penguins have won eight.

Part of the reason for the success? Ovechkin — who edged Crosby for top rookie honors in 2005-06 — has no goals or assists in three of the past four games between the teams.

Players and coaches from both sides can talk all they want about how these contests are about much more than Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great — a couple of forwards who both reached 200 points faster than any other active NHLers — but it was clear who the spectators came to see.

Crosby was booed loudly by Washington’s fans every time he touched the puck.

And a sizable group of Penguins supporters in the sellout crowd of 18,277 returned the favor, jeering Ovechkin whenever the puck was on his stick.

Ovechkin checked Crosby early in the third period, setting off a chain reaction of hits that nearly led to a brawl involving other players.

The biggest bunch of noise generated by anyone came late in the second period, with the Penguins on a power play after Mike Green was sent off for high-sticking Crosby.

The reigning NHL scoring champion and MVP sent a cross-ice pass to Ryan Whitney, whose slap shot beat Brent Johnson 17:59 into the second to make it 2-1. It was the 100th career point for Whitney, in his third season.

Johnson started in place of regular goalie Olie Kolzig, who is 2-6-1 with a 4.21 goals-against average in his last nine games against Pittsburgh.

The Penguins tied it 1-1 nearly 4 minutes into the second period on Jordan Staal’s first goal of the season. It came 8 seconds after Washington fought off a power play, including a 5-on-3 Pittsburgh advantage for 51 seconds.

Washington went ahead 1-0 on defenseman Brian Pothier’s goal of the season, 13:45 into the game. That extended a season-opening run in which a blue liner has at least one point in every game for Washington.

Pothier’s goal was set up with passes by Michael Nylander and rookie Nicklas Backstrom, who raised his team-leading total to five assists. Matt Pettinger screened Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on the play.

Fleury finished with 30 saves. The Capitals put the puck off a post in the first period, and Pettinger had a shot dribble off the line and stop next to a post late in the second.

Ovechkin tried to set up Chris Clark for a tying score on a breakaway with 1:45 left in the game, but the center couldn’t quite get his stick on the puck.