Alexander Ovechkin a native of Moscow, Russia, Alexander was the first overall selection in the 2004 NHL entry draft. He currently leads the Capitals scoring and is second among NHL rookies with 21 points. His 15 goals leads all rookies and ties him for fourth overall in the league with Ottawa's Dany Heatley. Alexander is the only NHL'er to be three-foot-three in shootouts this season as the Caps have won all three games that have proceeded to a shootout.

Q. Were you anxious to get your NHL career started last season?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: When I come in to the NHL, I'm a little bit afraid because there are new rules in the league and new players and a new team and a little bit afraid but my teammates they speak a lot to me and the coach speak a lot to me and I feel like I learn very well.

Q. Just wondering, there's been a lot made that some people are comparing this game to tomorrow night to maybe the first time Gretzky played Lemieux. How do you feel about that comparison of you and Sidney playing for the first time against each other at the NHL level?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Well, it will be a great game because ?? I don't compare me and Sidney because I think we are different players. He's a great passer and he sees the ice real well. I think we are a different player. You know, tomorrow will be a great game.

Q. First of all, do you put any extra pressure on yourself going into a game like this, knowing that the entire league is going to be viewing this game as something pretty big?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Well, I feel no pressure. It's just a game tomorrow, but everybody is speaking about me and Sidney and like comparisons of me and him. Tomorrow I think that we must play hard, me and him, and play as a team and win the game.

Q. Do you feel that any real rivalry between you and Sidney can only come if you guys meet in the post?season?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: I don't think about it.

Q. I just had a couple of questions. One, how would you describe your game? If you say Sidney Crosby is a great passer and sees the ice well, and last week against Buffalo you scored a goal and then later in the game you ran over the goaltender and bumped into the goaltender and it looked like everybody on the Buffalo team wanted to fight you. Is that something that you want to have happen in the National Hockey League, to prove that you are also very physical?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Well, first question, I think we are different players. He's a great passer, like Gretzky, and he can see the ice. I see some moments of just a great pass, he's a really great player. I didn't see any of his physical game but he scored ten goals and like I said, he play very good.

Q. Now how do you describe your game, though.
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: My game, I have a physical game, and if I have to shoot to somebody, I hit it, but instead I hit Buffalo goaltender, I didn't hit him, I see him and I move left and he shifted.

Q. But everybody wanted to fight you.
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Well, my job I think is to score goals, not fight. I think Shaone Morrisonn, he fights, but I would not fight. (Laughing).

Q. You would not fight?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Yeah, I can fight, I fight one time in Russia, and I think it's not a big deal, fight. It's a game and you play hard and if you have a chance to fight, why not.

Q. Your visor, why is it a dark visor when most players have a clear visor?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: I don't know. I don't want be like everybody. I want to be like it's me, that's it.

Q. You touched on it just a second ago, can you again sort of describe what you see as Sidney being, what kind of hockey player you think he is when you watch him play?
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: Well, I didn't see his game a lot, but I think he's a great player. And again, he can be faster than the other players, that's it. I think that, you know, he's a dangerous guy.

Attēlā: Aleksandrs Ovečkins. Photo: Alexander Ovechkin. © Chris Fuller (Hokeja Vestnesis)