You asked for it and the hockey gods have provided.

The Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins will go toe to toe Wednesday night in a Game 7 that's shaping up as one of the best contests on the NHL calendar in recent memory.

Here are three reasons why it'll also be 2017's best playoff game thus far.

Crosby vs. Ovechkin

Let's not beat around the bush: We all know why most people will tune in Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin entered the league in 2005, the NHL has not been the same, and for good reason.

(Photo credit: Action Images)

As was the case in '05, the success of these two clubs is closely tied to the success of their two superstars.

This postseason has been much of the same for Crosby, who - despite a Matt Niskanen cross-check to the face - continues to produce at an elite level. Heading into Game 7, Sid's tied for fourth in league playoff scoring with teammates Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel at 13 points.

His Russian rival, on the other hand, has struggled at times, especially in this series - he's found the back of the net only twice, leaving his 2017 playoff point total at a disappointing eight.

The Ovechkin haters will state the obvious: Crosby performs when it matters most, two rings, blah blah blah. While he may lack finger jewelry, though, No. 8 is actually a clutch performer.

Of course, this game and rivalry has grown into something bigger than just Ovechkin versus Crosby. But watching two of the best players on the planet - potentially, two of the best of all time - face off in an elimination postseason game with these implications is what most of us get out of bed for.

Cream of the crop

Wednesday marks the 20th playoff meeting between the clubs in the Crosby-Ovechkin era.

Over that span, the Eastern Conference juggernauts have traded blows atop the regular-season standings as well as in the playoffs, and this year is no different.

Washington and Pittsburgh finished the campaign in first and second place in the NHL with 118 and 111 points, respectively.

The 2016-17 season series was split at two games apiece, with the Caps outscoring the Pens 21-14.

With all due respect to the Western Conference, these are the two best teams in the league, both on paper and on the ice. Sprinkle in the secret ingredient - Game 7 - and it's the perfect recipe for a game for the ages.

Battle in the crease

Sure, Marc-Andre Fleury and Braden Holtby have both looked shaky at times in this series, but each netminder plays a crucial role in its outcome.

Fleury has two rings, Holtby is the reigning Vezina holder, and both have the winning pedigree required to carry a team all the way.

This postseason, their numbers stack up fairly evenly, with the edge in goals against going Holtby's way, and Fleury holding the advantage in save percentage.

Before Wednesday night is out, one of the men in the blue paint will have left his mark on the contest.

Crosby-Ovechkin, Holtby-Fleury, or Barry Trotz-Mike Sullivan: take your pick of intriguing story lines. Or don't, and simply sit back and enjoy watching two of the best players, teams, and coaches compete with their seasons on the line.

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The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed winger Tanner Pearson to a 4-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.

Pearson's new deal is worth annual average of $3.75 million and comes on the heels of the winger's most productive season to date. His new deal is a hefty raise from the $1.4 million he made this past campaign.

The former first-round pick of the Kings from the 2012 entry draft turned heads during the 2016-17 season, notching 24 goals to go along with 20 helpers. Pearson's

Forty-four points at age 24 ain't too shabby, and if the Kitchener, Ontario native can continue to impress, his next raise will be even more signifigant

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The Boston Bruins announced that goaltender Tuukka Rask and center Patrice Bergeron underwent successful surgeries this week.

Bergeron had a sports hernia procedure Monday, while Rask underwent right groin surgery Tuesday.

Related: Bruins' Bergeron played all season with sports hernia

Both players are expected to make full recoveries and be ready for next season.

Bergeron skated in 79 games this season, registering 53 points.

Between the pipes, Rask appeared in 65 contests, posting a 37-20-5 record alongside a .915 save percentage.

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The Dallas Stars acquired the rights to goaltender Ben Bishop from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday for a fourth-round draft pick in 2017.

The Stars now have the opportunity to sign Bishop to a contract extension. He is eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1.

Bishop, 30, split last season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Kings. He was dealt to Los Angeles at the March trade deadline.

"Ben has proven that he is one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement.

The Stars used a tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi in net last season, and they combined for a league-worst .893 save percentage.

The fourth-rounder headed to Los Angeles was originally acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Jordie Benn.

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The Florida Panthers apparently like what they hear from Michel Therrien.

The former Montreal Canadiens bench boss is in the running to become the next head coach of the Panthers, and will soon sit for a second interview with the Sunrise club, reports George Richards of the Miami Herald.

Panthers general manager Dale Tallon says the team will interview about a dozen candidates, according to NHL.com. That reportedly includes University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery, who's already had his second interview, according to Richards.

Florida began last season with Gerard Gallant as coach. He was replaced in November by interim head coach Tom Rowe, the team's first-year general manager. The Panthers missed the playoffs by 14 points after winning the Atlantic Division a year earlier, and Rowe has since moved into an advisory role with the organization.

Therrien spent nearly five seasons as coach of the Canadiens in his most recent stint with the club. He had a 31-19-8 record this season before his February dismissal, and was replaced by Claude Julien.

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Earlier today, New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero confirmed that Ilya Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL for next season.

Kovalchuk remains property of the Devils, but they simply can't trade his rights. Kovalchuk's agent is able to speak with other teams about a contract, but once an agreement is in place, he would have to sign with New Jersey who would then trade him to said team.

Since New Jersey is in rebuilding mode, they probably want nothing to do with Kovalchuk, but will happily trade him for assets to help speed up their rebuild.

Kovalchuk is 34 years old, but is coming off his best season in the KHL in which he recorded 32 goals and 78 points in 60 games. He hasn't played in the NHL since 2012-13, but there will certainly be a long list of teams interested in acquiring the Russian sniper.

Without further ado, here are the five most logical fits for Kovalchuk (projected cap space courtesy of Cap Friendly):

Edmonton Oilers

There's something to be said about two GMs who have a good rapport. Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli and Shero pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory last spring, swapping Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson.

Kovalchuk will likely demand somewhere around $6 million per season, so a short-term deal in Edmonton, who is obviously in win-now mode, would make plenty of sense.

The Oilers could use a high-powered winger to play alongside either Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They are also in need of a legitimate right-handed shot on their power play (no offense, Mark Letestu).

Though a one-for-one deal likely wouldn't work since Shero has very little trade leverage, it's possible the Oilers could send Jordan Eberle the other way in a deal. He has been brutal during Edmonton's playoff run, so it's possible management's patience could be wearing thin with the 26-year-old.

From Shero's point of view, it's possible reuniting Eberle with Hall could rejuvenate the slumping winger. If this were the case, Shero could then trade him once his value is higher, or keep him as part of New Jersey's core moving forward.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are just a year removed from a first-place finish in the Central Division in which they recorded 109 points. This past season was a debacle, but they are still likely looking to win right away while Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are in the prime of their careers.

If they wind up putting their third overall pick on the trade block for help in goal or on the blue line, then it would only provide further proof that they are looking to contend for a cup right away.

The addition of Kovalchuk would give the Stars arguably the most prolific offense in the entire league. It's unclear how this would sit with newly minted head coach Ken Hitchcock. However, the veteran bench boss could be on board considering lack of goal-scoring (and playoff failures) eventually led to his demise in St. Louis.

Montreal Canadiens

After a first-round playoff exit, saying Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin is on the hot seat would be an understatement.

Bergevin is running out of time to right the ship in Montreal, meaning he isn't afraid to move what few prospects his organization has in order to bring in a piece who could help them win now.

He made the bold move last offseason of signing former NHLer turned KHLer Alexander Radulov, and it turned out to work brilliantly. Whether or not the Habs bring Radulov back shouldn't alter their interest in Kovalchuk. They are desperate for offense.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights obviously aren't in win-now mode. Their trade bait won't be known until the expansion draft on June 21, but they will certainly have plenty of cap space.

What they will want is something, or someone, that will ignite a fan base and bring people to the rink. If they can form a somewhat competitive team, it will go a long way in keeping fans interested.

The Golden Knights have already signed Vadim Shipachyov, and have shown interest in Evgeny Dadonov - both of whom played with Kovalchuk at SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL last season.

Heck, if they were able to bring in two Russian defensemen in addition to Dadonov and Kovalchuk, they could form the latest installment of "The Russian Five." Now there's something you can sell to your fans.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes might be the biggest wild card on this list. They are not exactly in win-now mode, but they're much closer to being a competitor than most think.

The acquisition of Scott Darling solidified their goaltending issue. They have a surplus of young defensemen that every team in the league covets, but they still need help up front.

New Jersey is one of many teams in the market for a young defenseman. They wouldn't be able to pry away one of Carolina's high-end blue-liners for Kovalchuk, such as Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, or Brett Pesce, but Ryan Murphy or Klas Dahlbeck, plus something else would make sense.

Furthermore, Carolina also has three second-round picks and two third-round picks that it could dangle in a potential trade. With the addition of Kovalchuk, Hurricanes could very well be a playoff team come 2017-18.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Sidney Crosby was evaluated by a doctor during the first intermission of Monday's Game 6 after a dangerous collision in the final minutes of the opening period. It was then decided he didn't need to go through concussion protocol, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain revealed after practice Tuesday, according to the Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty.

Crosby went headfirst into the boards with 2:15 left to play in the first, and considering both the fact he missed Game 4 due to concussion and his head-injury history, the hockey world lost its collective you know what after he wasn't immediately pulled by the league's concussion spotters.

The play remained the talk of the hockey world Tuesday, after NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the collision wasn't grounds for Crosby's mandatory removal because he hit the boards, and not the ice. In other words, concussion spotters didn't have the authority to call him off the ice, because the NHL's studies have shown that ice "has been found to be a predictor of concussions," while boards have not been.

Complicating matters further: Head coach Mike Sullivan wouldn't go into much detail about Crosby after his team's loss, stating only that he wasn't evaluated for a concussion. Sullivan could have put a lot of people at ease had he at least said his captain was looked at by a doctor.

Crosby called the collision "pretty standard," saying he simply had the wind knocked out of him.

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Team Canada will be getting a large upgrade on its blue line, as St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko is set to join his country overseas, the team announced Tuesday.

Parayko stands at 6-foot-6, 226 pounds, bringing much-needed size, and a right-handed shot to Canada's back end.

The 23-year-old registered a career-high 35 points this season and added two goals and three helpers in 11 playoff games before the Blues were eliminated at the hands of the Nashville Predators.

Canada is 3-0 so far in the tournament, but in a weak division, the team hasn't really been tested. Parayko should be expected to log big minutes as Canada seeks its third straight gold medal at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

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It's true: Ilya Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL.

New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero confirmed with Kovalchuk's agent that the 34-year-old is indeed serious about returning to North America after spending the past four seasons in Russia's KHL, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

A couple of weeks ago, TSN's Bob McKenzie provided details on Kovalchuk's status, pointing out the forward is on the league's Voluntary Retirement List (VRL) but remains property of the Devils. Since he's on the VLR, the Devils can't trade his rights, making a sign-and-trade scenario the most likely solution.

Kovalchuk can't sign a contract until July 1, LeBrun adds, suggesting that "the Kovalchuk sweepstakes are on." Exciting!

TSN's BobMcKenzie adds that whatever happens, Kovalchuk is a "non-factor for (the) expansion draft," ineligible to be exposed, protected, or selected.

New Jersey's rebuilding, and surprisingly hit the jackpot by winning the NHL Draft Lottery, which means the club will be adding some top-flight offensive talent in either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier. In other words, they've got little use for Kovalchuk, even though he's coming off his most productive season in the KHL.

Kovalchuk could help a contender, though how he left the Devils will follow him for the rest of his career. After signing a 15-year, $100-million contract in 2010, Kovalchuk left for Russia with 12 years and $77 million left on the deal, retiring from the NHL at 30.

In 816 career regular-season games, Kovalchuk scored 417 goals and had 816 points.

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Controversy swirled during Game 6 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals on Monday night, after Pens captain Sidney Crosby continued to play despite appearing to suffer another head injury.

The incident occurred late in the first period when Crosby - who was diagnosed with a concussion in Game 3 - got tangled with Braden Holtby and tumbled violently into the end boards.

After questions quickly surfaced as to why Crosby wasn't pulled from the game by the league-mandated concussion spotter to undergo tests, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly provided an explanation Tuesday.

"Depending on the mechanism of the injury, 'slow to get up' does not trigger mandatory removal," Daly told USA Today Sports. "The protocol has been interpreted literally to mandate a removal. 'Ice' as compared to 'boards' is in there for a reason. It's the result of a study on our actual experiences over a number of years. 'Ice' has been found to be a predictor of concussions - 'boards' has not been."

Regardless of what the rule book states, the decision to leave Crosby in the game and the league's questionable subsequent response have further damaged its reputation for dealing with head injuries.

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