by Spector

Updated: April 9, 2008, 8:41 PM EST 66 comments

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Despite instituting a salary cap to supposedly promote parity, rule changes to speed up the action and the rise of young stars like Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL remains scarcely more than an afterthought in the consciousness of American sports fans.

Crosby and Ovechkin have been considered this hockey generation's equivalent of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, who were so instrumental in the rise of the NHL's popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The two have certainly done their part to live up to the comparisons. Crosby won the Hart Trophy last season as the league's most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as its scoring leader while leading the Penguins back to respectability.

Ovechkin led the league in both goals and points this season, was the first player in 11 years to score over 60 goals, and is the odds-on favorite to win this year's Hart for carrying his Capitals to their first playoff appearance since 2003.

They're unquestionably the league's top superstars and with both in the early twenties should reign in that capacity for at least a decade.

Their efforts have resurrected interest in hockey in both Pittsburgh and Washington. Prior to their arrival with their respective clubs in 2005-06 the Penguins and Capitals were floundering at the gate and believed in danger of relocation.

Today the Penguins are among the class of the league while the Capitals could be poised to join them.

But while Ovechkin and Crosby may have helped regenerate interest in their respective cities, they still have a long road ahead to attract more attention from American sports fans in the NHL's product.

In March the Penguins battled for the Eastern Conference lead while the Capitals staged an exciting late-season run for the ages to clinch a playoff berth, but that was scarcely noticed by American sports fans, who were more interested in the NBA, the Final Four and MLB's spring training.

The NHL can argue that interest in their product is rising, but to grab more attention from American sports fans it needs its two most marketable stars to be at their best in this year's playoffs.

Gretzky and Lemieux became legendary figures not only because of their regular season prowess but also their playoff performances, leading their respective teams to Cup glory.

For the NHL to bolster its visibility Ovechkin and Crosby must follow in the post-season skates of Gretzky and Lemieux and carry their respective teams deep into the playoffs.

They must come up with the big plays, a dramatic goal that wins an overtime game or a dazzling assist that sets up a series winner.

Crosby and Ovechkin playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season should be marketing gold for the NHL.

The best-case scenario would be a Capitals-Penguins matchup, either in the conference semifinals or finals, setting up a classic postseason duel between Ovechkin and Crosby. The aftermath would be either Crosby's Penguins or Ovechkin's Capitals marching to the Stanley Cup finals, with the league playing up the exploits of either star.

Ovechkin and Crosby aren't just carrying the hopes of their respective teams but also those of an NHL front office desperately trying to regain its visibility as a major professional sports league in the all-important American sports market.

The further those two can carry their respective teams in the playoffs, the better it'll be for the NHL.