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Former Blue Jackets player fans flames on social media in Crosby vs. Ovechkin debate | TribLIVE.com
Penguins/NHL

Former Blue Jackets player fans flames on social media in Crosby vs. Ovechkin debate

Mike Palm
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Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
The Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and the Blue Jackets’ Brandon Dubinsky fight on Feb. 19, 2015 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

It seems as if NHL media and fans have been debating whether Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin is the better player since they entered the NHL in the 2005-06 season.

Now Brandon Dubinsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets has joined the argument.

In a tweet posted Friday morning, Dubinsky seems to favor Ovechkin for his prodigious goal-scoring ability.

“None of you played in the NHL and know how hard it is to score goals in the NHL. 724 is insane,” Dubinsky wrote on Twitter. “Sid just whined way too much and Ovi just shut up and played hard.”

Ovechkin is currently sixth all-time in NHL goals with 724, while Crosby has scored 476. Crosby trails Ovechkin by six points, 1,309-1,303, despite having played 164 fewer games.

But Crosby does have three Stanley Cup rings compared to Ovechkin’s one.

Of course, Dubinsky and Crosby have a history of distaste for each other. Dubinsky was suspended for one game in November of 2015 after he cross-checked Crosby in the back of the neck.

“I’m not surprised,” Crosby said after that game. “If I was going to get one of those shots, it would probably be from him.”

The two also fought earlier that year, according to HockeyFights, one of Crosby’s eight regular-season fights in his career.

Dubinsky, who last played in the 2018-19 season, is currently on long-term injured reserve for a chronic wrist injury in the final year of his contract.

When it comes to ranking the all-time greats in the NHL, Dubinsky said it’s “(Wayne) Gretzky, (Mario) Lemieux, (Bobby) Orr and then the rest.”

Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.

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Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
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