Death, taxes, and Sidney Crosby being a thorn in the side of the Washington Capitals; those three have consistently been a part of life ever since the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted the talented Canadian center with the first overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft. And on Friday night during the Penguins' 2023-24 season opener, which aptly came against Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals, Crosby's dominance over that franchise took on a whole new life of its own.

Crosby, the 36-year old Penguins legend, proved that age is just a number after tallying two goals (two points in total) against the Capitals in a 4-0 win to begin the new campaign. And in doing so, he joined an exclusive five-man club where none other than Wayne Gretzky, the Great One, belongs in.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Sidney Crosby now has 30 career multi-point games against the Capitals; he joined Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, and two fellow Penguins in Mario Lemieux and Mark Recchi as the only five players in history to tally at least 30 career multi-point games against the Capitals franchise.

Over the past 18 years, the recurring battle between the Penguins and Capitals turned out to be one of the NHL's biggest rivalries, with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin almost always finding their way against Alexander Ovechkin in the postseason during that time. Crosby and the Penguins came out on top three out of the four times they've met in the postseason, winning the Stanley Cup during all of the seasons in which they vanquished the Capitals.

During the playoffs, Crosby has tallied 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 25 games against the Capitals, constantly proving to be a nuisance for Washington to get over. And now, with this latest feat, the veteran Penguins center gives Capitals fans even more reason to be irked with him every time they square off in the rink.

Nevertheless, with Sidney Crosby approaching his late 30s, it won't be long until one of the greatest players to ever grace the sport decides to hang up the skates. So perhaps by then, maybe even Capitals fans recognize the greatness he has sustained for almost two decades.