from Tal Pinchevsy at ESPN,

For decades now, it's been the calling card for many of the most dominant teams: two all-world centers carrying their club.

Gretzky-Messier. Lemieux-Francis. Sakic-Forsberg. The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup twice in three seasons with Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter patrolling the middle.

Beginning with the Pittsburgh Penguins meeting the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final on Monday (8 p.m. ET) at PPG Paints Arena, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have the chance to be immortalized as part of that group. Having captured the Stanley Cup twice as teammates and accumulated two Conn Smythe trophies, three Hart Memorial trophies and four scoring titles between them, each has already secured his respective place in the Hall of Fame.

But ask either superstar what motivates him, and each will inevitably take a moment to give a nod to the other.

"When he's out there, when he's going, you want to follow that up," Crosby said of Malkin. "It gives you confidence as a player when you see someone out there with that capability, because I don't think you put as much pressure on yourself knowing that this guy is capable of changing the game with one play."

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