NHL FanHouse

Never Short on Creativity, Pens Fans Give Marian Hossa a Special Salute

Kevin Schultz — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, NHL Videos

Oh, our silly hockey loving Pittsburgh brethren. From the epic 'WWGRD?' to the Pensblog's daily shenanigans and the Flyers/Penguins statue jersey wars, they always have something creative and a little out of the ordinary up their sleeves. So naturally, when Marian Hossa defected to Detroit after losing the SCF to the Wings -- the ultimate slap in the face an athlete could give to his fans -- the folks in Pittsburgh responded in a way only that only the folks in Pittsburgh can. They set his jersey on fire and put it on YouTube for all to see. After all, nothing says 'I hate you' like a fireworks laced burning effigy. I think I can safely say that any of us would have done the same given the circumstances, if of course, we had pyromaniac tendencies.

And clearly, FanHouse recommends that you DO NOT try this at home.

Never Short on Creativity, Pens Fans Give Marian Hossa a Special Salute originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jagr Doesn't Want to Play for Penguins, Either

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Pittsburgh, Rangers, Penguins, NHL Free Agency

Much was made Wednesday of Marian Hossa's decision to sign a one-year deal with Stanley Cup champion Detroit, rather than take one of several lucrative multi-year offers that were available to him.

While Detroit is a fine team with fine fans, it's hard to get past the idea that Hossa simply didn't want to play for Pittsburgh anymore.

Once Hossa bolted, attention turned to Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr, who started his NHL career in Pittsburgh. While he was booed lustily during the Rangers' playoff series against the Penguins, it was still assumed that the Pens had a good shot at signing Jagr.

After all, who doesn't want to play with Sidney Crosby?

Evidently, Jaromir Jagr is going to pass on that chance.

Instead of taking an NHL team's offer, Jagr has decided to return overseas (NOTE: I'm an idiot, and carelessly said Russia was his "homeland". Thanks to the folks who called out my error), signing a two-year deal to play in Russia.

The Russian hockey team Avangard Omsk announced it has signed the former New York Rangers star and Jagr's agent, Pat Brisson, confirmed the move Friday afternoon.

"Jaromir signed a letter of intent with the Avangard Omsk Hockey team of the Russian CHL on or about 3am EST this morning. I won't comment on the terms of the agreement at this time.It was a very difficult but personal decision to make in light of the many NHL teams interested in his services. He is grateful to the NHL and especially the Rangers in recent years."

Local and international media are reporting that Jagr will be paid $35 million for two years. There is also reportedly an option for a third season.

Well, it's hard to fault Jagr for taking that offer. If the reported salary is correct, Jagr will likely make double what any NHL team was going to pay him, and also more than any NHL team would be allowed to pay him (because of the rule limiting a player's salary to 20 percent of the cap).

I had never been a Jagr fan, but I developed a great respect for him with how he played in the postseason this year. He carried himself like a captain, something I had never really observed from him in the past. I was hopeful he would re-sign in Pittsburgh, because it would be a great fit for his talents, and he could have helped Sidney Crosby back to the Cup Finals.

Instead, Jagr will play two years in Russia, for the team (Avangard Omsk) that he played for during the lockout year of 2004-2005. At age 36, there's no way of knowing if we'll ever see him in the NHL again.

Jagr Doesn't Want to Play for Penguins, Either originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marian Hossa Signs a One-Year Deal With Detroit, Gives Pittsburgh the Finger

Pat Lackey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:19:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Free Agency

The biggest name on the free agent market this summer has found a new home, and it's not a home many people expected him to end up in. As he promised, Marian Hossa did indeed sign a contract for less than market value to win a Stanley Cup. The surprising part? It's a one year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

In many places this will be spun as "Hossa just wants to win." This is complete and utter horsepucky. Hossa wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Prior to Detroit's one-year, $7.4 million offer, it looked like Hossa's choices were to take a monstrous deal from Edmonton or Vancouver, or sign for slightly less money with a more serious contender like Pittsburgh or Montreal. He seems to have definitely left a seven-year, $50 million offer from the Penguins on the table. Now Hossa gets his shot at the Cup this year, and if it works out he gets his huge payday next year. In the all-time Mercenary Move Hall of Fame, this one is a first-ballot inductee.

As many have already noted, Hossa fits in perfectly with the Wings. He's a great two-way player and this one year deal lets them shoot for a repeat in 2009, then leaves plenty of cap room to deal with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who will be UFAs after next year. In purely hockey terms, it's a great move for Hossa and Detroit. In terms of karma? Hossa's really tempting the universe on this one.

Marian Hossa Signs a One-Year Deal With Detroit, Gives Pittsburgh the Finger originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Evgeni Malkin Expected to Agree to Extension Soon

Pat Lackey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Free Agency

No matter what happens this afternoon, it appears that the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to take care of at least one huge part of their off-season puzzle today. Word has leaked out that Evgeni Malkin is expected to finalize his extension with the team and an announcement should be forthcoming either sometime this afternoon or tomorrow.

According to TSN, the deal is a pretty simple one in that it exactly mirrors Sidney Crosby's deal at 5 years and $8.7 million. Since Malkin's at about the same point in his career that Crosby was last summer (a good rookie year and a breakout second year), it makes a lot of sense. It works out to a discount for the Penguins over market value, since Malkin could probably make in excess of $10 million a year if he were to test free agency.

Malkin's deal takes effect starting with the 2009/2010 season since his rookie contract applies to next year, so Ray Shero should have some idea of what kind of cap space he's got to work with when dealing with guys like Brooks Orpik and Marian Hossa today. As it looks right now, it's going to be about a $17 million yearly hit for Malkin and Crosby, which isn't too bad for two of the best players in the world.

Report: Evgeni Malkin Expected to Agree to Extension Soon originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'WWGRD?' Era Likely Over in Pittsburgh

Kevin Schultz — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:22:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, General NHL, Penguins, Lightning

We've known for a little while that Gary Roberts probably wasn't going to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tuesday, Roberts' agent told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he would return to the NHL, but not the Penguins. Yesterday we got a step closer to finding out who one of the potential suitors could be. Who else but the Tampa Bay Lightning, who seem to have their hand in everything that goes on around the NHL these days.

Yesterday the Lightning acquired the rights to Roberts and teammate Ryan Malone from the Penguins in exchange for a conditional draft pick which hinges on whether or not the Bolts can sign Malone. Pittsburgh receives a third rounder in 2009 if he inks with Tampa, a fourth rounder if he doesn't.

This move seems to make sense for both teams. For Pittsburgh, they receive something for two players that were likely not to re-sign with them -- but still could re-sign with them. Chances are though that the Penguins would not have made this move if they thought they were likely to sign one/both players. On the other end, Tampa Bay gets first dibs on negotiating with the pair, only days before they would hit the open market on July 1.

Probably the most hard hit about the move were those at Pensblog, the home of the slogan "WWGRD?" Their feelings might best be summed up by this quote from commenter Julia:

"my heart just fell in my butt"

There you have it, folks. The hearts of Penguins fans are now in their butts.

'WWGRD?' Era Likely Over in Pittsburgh originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KHL Ready to Declare Player War on NHL

Eric McErlain — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:43:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, Penguins, Eastern, International Hockey, NHL Free Agency

From time to time, FanHouse has the distinct pleasure of getting English translations of stories that appear in the pages of Sovetsky Sport, Russia's leading sports newspaper, courtesy of Sovetsky's Washington correspondent, Dmitry Chesnokov. Most recently, we obtained the following translation of a story that will appear in tomorrow's edition of Sovetsky, an interview of Gennady Velichkin, the general director of Mettalurg Magnitogorsk, by Sovetsky reporter Pavel Lysenkov.

Many of you may recall that Mettalurg Magnitogorsk was Evgeni Malkin's club in the Russian Super League before he left for North America and an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, Mettalurg Magnitogorsk is a charter member of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), set to begin play next September.

In the wake of the news that broke over the weekend that several unnamed clubs in the new KHL were looking to lure Malkin back to Russia with a massive contract -- an offer Malkin's agent says he has no interest in -- Lysenkov put the question to Velichkin: Was it his club that was planning on making the offer to Malkin?

He answered that question, and a lot more that ought to give the NHL something to think about over the next few years. Over the weekend, NHL VP Bill Daly said that he's not worried about the advent of the new Russian league. Given the comments that follow by Velichkin, he might want to think twice about that. The translation follows after the jump.

Gennady, perhaps it is your club that is trying to lure Malkin back to Russia?

"I am not going to hide it, we are interested in bringing Malkin back. We are talking to him asking to come back. For good money. We don't care about what Pittsburgh is doing."

Malkin playing in the KHL and making $10 million. Is it fantasy?

"It is the reality of life. I think that Zenit winning the UEFA Cup, our hockey team's triumph in Quebec, the success our football players are having at the European Championships -- these are all links in the same chain. Russia has become a very different place, and foreigners don't understand it. I think that not only Metallurg, but other KHL clubs are ready to invite Malkin, Ovechkin, Gonchar to join them. It all depends on the guys' [players'] wishes. We can afford to pay star players more than they get across the ocean."

The IIHF president Rene Fasel has already made a remark that Russia will be punished if they start luring players with active contracts in the NHL.

"We discussed this topic at the KHL conference that was chaired by Alexander Medvedev, who is also the IIHF vice-president. Now we can already hear the words coming out of the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's mouth: "Let's honor others' contracts!" This is exactly what we were asking him a few years ago. Medvedev said that Russia will not sign a transfer agreement with the NHL this year. Here you have it. Bettman didn't want to meet us in the middle before, and now he is too late. The time has come to pay the debts..."

KHL Ready to Declare Player War on NHL originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hossa Breaks Off Talks With Pens

Eric McErlain — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Rangers, Penguins, Thrashers, NHL Free Agency

The biggest name in this year's free agent class might not be headed back to Pittsburgh after all.

In Ottawa for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Penguins GM Ray Shero announced to the press that the 29-year old Slovak winger that the Penguins had acquired at the deadline and very nearly helped them win a Stanley Cup had broken off talks with the team and would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Shero also hastened to add that this break in the talks didn't mean that the Penguins would give up trying to bring Hossa back to Pittsburgh.

This announcement brings up two immediate questions: Just which team other than Pittsburgh has the will and wallet to offer Hossa a new home? Let me nominate the New York Rangers, a team that will have somewhere North of $12 million in cap space to play with if they let go of unrestricted free agents Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery.

The second question for Pens fans is this: In light of what may be his eventual departure, was the price the Pens paid to obtain Hossa from Atlanta worth it? I know looking back it's easy to second guess Shero, but don't count me among those who do. If a bounce or two goes another way, a six-game series like the Finals can shift in an instant, and I'm happy to make the argument that the Pens wouldn't have been anywhere near the Finals without Hossa in the lineup.

Hossa Breaks Off Talks With Pens originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evgeni Malkin Says He's Not Playing in Russia

Pat Lackey — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:46:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Rumors

Early this morning, the news broke that the new Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) was poised to offer Evgeni Malkin an obscene amount of cash to play hockey back in his home country. It seemed like a scary rumor for Penguin fans at first, but it doesn't look like it has any legs. First, the IIHF condemned the KHL's move by threatening sanctions (as in "No Olympics or World Championships for Russia) for signing away NHL players under contract, then Malkin's agent said that his client has no intention of leaving Pittsburgh by choice:

"He's not interested in (playing in Russia)," Barry said. " He wants to stay in Pittsburgh. He wants them to keep, hopefully, as many of these players together (as possible) and he wants to try to make a run next year."

Call me crazy, but it seems to me that Malkin just might end up playing in Pittsburgh next year. Despite the KHL's boasting of having more money than the NHL, the level of competition will certainly be higher in the North American League. So long as it's the best league in the world, it's going to be difficult to pry the best players in the world away.

Evgeni Malkin Says He's Not Playing in Russia originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lombardi Shoots Down Malkin to LA Rumor

Eric McErlain — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:03:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Kings, NHL Draft, NHL Rumors

The best hockey blog you're probably not reading these days is Inside the Kings, where Rich Hammond, deputy sports editor at the Los Angeles Daily News, is the man in charge. About 30 minutes ago, he got the skinny on the Evgeni Malkin to LA rumor that Bruce Garrioch floated recently. This comes straight from LA GM Dean Lombardi:

``There's absolutely nothing to it,'' Lombardi said of rumors that the Kings might trade for Malkin. ``I talked to (the Penguins) as part of my due diligence to talk to every team. Then I hear all these reports that we're getting him. I had to call Ray (Shero, Penguins GM) this morning and say, `I hear I'm trading for him. What am I giving you?'''

Meanwhile, across town at the LA Times, Lisa Dilman has her own interview with Lombardi where he declares he's keeping the second pick in the draft even though three teams have made him offers. And though it's widely though that Lombardi would select defenseman Drew Doughty of the Guelph Storm, he declined to say anything definite about who he would pick.

Pittsburgh, breathe easy now.

Lombardi Shoots Down Malkin to LA Rumor originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malkin to Los Angeles?

Eric McErlain — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Kings, NHL Rumors

Over at Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski is pondering the hottest rumor in hockey: Bruce Garrioch's report that the Pittsburgh Penguins are actively shopping Evgeni Malkin for salary cap reasons and that the Los Angeles Kings are first in line:

Malkin for [Mike] Cammalleri and what could be blue-chip defenseman Drew Doughty or Russian dynamo Nikita Filatov would be at best a steal for the Kings and, at worst, close to equal value once the rookies ripen.

No kidding. Greg goes on to add that a deal like this could be a real moment of truth for the Kings franchise, and I can't disagree. If this rumor is even close to being true, and when you're dealing with Garrioch you always have to wonder out loud whether or not it is, there's no reason in my mind that LA GM Dean Lombardi wouldn't be doing anything and everything in his power to get the paperwork on this signed, sealed and delivered before Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero changes his mind.

But as mind boggling as this deal might be, there's another question we ought to be asking: Whether or not Malkin wants to stay in Pittsburgh, is it really in his best interest to do so?

I can't help but think back to the just completed season and recall that Malkin didn't come into his own until Sidney Crosby was lost to injury. No matter how long Malkin might be in Pittsburgh, the Penguins will always be Crosby's team. Maybe moving 3,000 miles and lifting a team on his own shoulders might just show us what Malkin could really do?

Malkin to Los Angeles? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryan Malone to Test Free Agency

Eric McErlain — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:49:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, NHL Free Agency

For the past few weeks, we've heard a lot about how the Pittsburgh Penguins were working hard to deal Ryan Malone before the July 1 free agent signing period begins in order to get some kind of return out a player who couldn't fit into their future financially. More often than not, Columbus was the destination we kept hearing about.

It's time to put breaks on those plans. Earlier today, Malone told Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he wouldn't be signing with any team before July 1. This is nothing but bad news for the Pens, who won't be picking until the fourth round of this weekend's draft after shipping their picks from rounds one, two and three out of town at the trade deadline in a spurt of dealing by GM Ray Shero that helped the team get to the Finals for the first time since 1992.

So what sort of contract will Malone merit? The Pens couldn't afford anything in excess of $3 million annually, while the Columbus Dispatch reported that the Blue Jackets were ready to do a four or five-year deal worth $4.5 million per. In any case, Mr. Malone is going to be taking home a lot more than the $1.45 million he earned this past season. It's too bad he won't be able to do it in his hometown.

Ryan Malone to Test Free Agency originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Pens Offer Hossa 7-Year, $50 Million Contract

Eric McErlain — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Blue Jackets, Sharks, NHL Rumors, NHL Free Agency

Over at Puck Rakers, a Blue Jackets blog at the Columbus Dispatch, Aaron Portzline is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a 7-year, $50 million contract offer to keep unrestricted free agent in the fold.

If a Blue Jackets blog seems to be an odd place to serve as a source for Penguins news, think again. Reportedly, if Hossa does sign, the Penguins would immediately deal the negotiating rights to unrestricted free agent Ryan Malone to the Blue Jakcets. As you might expect, with Hossa demanding that much coin, keeping Malone, as tough as he might be, becomes something of a luxury. With Minnesota reportedly considering Malone, the Blue Jackets seem ready to part with a player or a pick in order to have an exclusive negotiating window with Malone before the free agent signing period begins July 1.

Something tells me that Pittsburgh GM has decided that the Penguins have a short window to shoot at a title and he might as well take advantage of it now. Though one has to wonder: If Hossa is worth more than $7 million per season, what will Evgeni Malkin demand at the end of next season, and how in the world can Pittsburgh stay competitive with three players accounting for somewhere around $25 million in cap space per season?

Another interesting rumor from Portzline: The BJs are also reportedly interested in Sharks captain Patrick Marleau, who has been ticketed out of town for salary cap considerations.

Report: Pens Offer Hossa 7-Year, $50 Million Contract originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Penguins File for Arbitration With Fleury

Pat Lackey — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Rumors

Despite all of the uncertainty surrounding Marian Hossa, Brooks Orpik, Ryan Malone, and a host of other Penguins, the most pressing issue for GM Ray Shero this winter is taking care of Marc-Andre Fleury and his impending restricted free agency. No single Penguin that may leave for somewhere else this summer is as important to the immediate and long-term future of the team as Fleury is.

Worst case scenario for the Penguins this summer? Someone swoops in with a ginmorous offer for Fleury that they can't match, leaving the to beg Ty Conklin to come back and rotate him and Dany Sabourin in net. Now THERE would be a "Runners-up curse." Penguin fans wake up at night in a cold sweat in fear of this very situation (by Penguin fans, I mean me).

Anyways, that scenario's off the table now since GM Ray Shero took a step towards taking care of the Fleury situation today by filing for arbitration with his young net-minder. That's not to say that the two sides are going to arbitration, but the move extends the window he has to negotiate with Fleury from July 1st to whenever Fleury's hearing is scheduled for between July 20th and August 4th. Shero sounds like he's made this his top priority, so I'd look for Fleury to get his long-term deal sooner rather than later.

Penguins File for Arbitration With Fleury originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL Wants to Sell More Hats to Penguin Fans

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:25:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Fans

Give credit where it's due. The NHL isn't stupid.

The league has shown a keen willingness to strike while the proverbial iron is hot. They can't market the Pittsburgh penguins as "Stanley Cup Champions", and I guess "Eastern Conference Champions" just doesn't mean what it used to. Instead, the league is trying something new.

"Celebrate the success of the 2008 Pennsylvania State Champs with this Pittsburgh Penguins hat from New Era(R). The enzyme-washed and sanded cotton twill hat has 6 eyelets that allow your head to breathe and an adjustable closure for a customized fit. It's decorated in the team colors and designed with the embroidered team logo and State Champions graphic on the crown."

I'm pretty sure this is going to tick off a few Flyer fans, but they're just collateral damage when it comes to the NHL's marketing machine.

In case you're wondering, the San Jose Sharks (California's State Champion, if you will) do not have a similar clothing line at their online store. I'm pretty sure their fans aren't too upset about it.

(Tap of the stick: Puck Daddy)

NHL Wants to Sell More Hats to Penguin Fans originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Way to Kill a Career #23: Talking Bad About Your Town

Kevin Schultz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

Meet Katrina Hancock. Aside from having a potentially unfortunate last name (tee-hee!), she is also a reporter for NBC's Detroit affiliate WDIV. Hancock was assigned to cover the Penguins and Wings Stanley Cup Final but at some point she became the interviewee and not the interviewer. KDKA, a Pittsburgh station interviewed her and, well, I don't want to spoil the YouTube. What I will say is that it's a lesson in instantaneous career suicide.

The money quote: "She was the only Detroit journalist to say that Pittsburgh has better fans than Detroit."

Really? The only one? You don't say! I guess the rest of them liked their jobs too much. Seriously, did she want to get fired? If she did, I can commend her for doing it in such a creative way. Otherwise, well, WHAT THE HECK WAS SHE THINKING?

What Hancock said might not have been the best quote of the whole piece, though. The Pittsburgh anchor, Paul Martino, finished his piece by saying "and I had to promise Katrina that we wouldn't be sending that interview back to Detroit." Somehow I imagine it took a Herculean effort on his part to not burst out laughing in the middle of that sentence. You had to figure that he was smart enough to know (unlike Hancock) that even though he wouldn't send it back to Detroit personally, in a digital world things like this do, in fact, get back to Detroit.

Whoops. I guess it is very different when you're on the other side of the microphone.

h/t Awful Announcing and Puck Daddy

Way to Kill a Career #23: Talking Bad About Your Town originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Neumeier: 'Mr. Losing Locker Room Reporter Guy'

Eric McErlain — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

It's one of the toughest jobs in all of sports broadcasting. While your colleagues are talking with athletes who are overjoyed at reaching the pinnacle of their sport, you're stuck interviewing one of the guys from the losing team. On NBC during the Stanley Cup Finals, that guy was Bob Neumeier.

Which really just gives me an excuse to play this appropriate tribute.

Bob Neumeier: 'Mr. Losing Locker Room Reporter Guy' originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marian Hossa Is Toying With Penguin Fans

Pat Lackey — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:29:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Free Agency

Now that the off-season has officially started, there's a lot of questions for Penguins' GM Ray Shero to answer during the off-season. Along with Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal's looming restricted free agency after the 2008/2009 season, and Marc-Andre Fleury becoming a restricted free agent on July 1st, a huge portion of the Pens' roster is going to be filing for unrestricted free agency in about three weeks. The biggest name on that list is Marian Hossa, who's saying he'd rather get paid less and play for a contender:

"If I wanted to make a couple more dollars, I would probably just re-sign with Atlanta," said Hossa, whose 12 goals and 26 points in the playoffs were exactly what the Penguins were seeking when they acquired him from the Thrashers on Feb. 26. "But I'm glad Pittsburgh got me here. This was a fun journey for myself, and a great experience. I hope I can stick with a great team like this. ...

"There's always a limit, but I'd rather take a little less and play on a good team, definitely."

That has Penguins' fans understandably excited, but I've got some bad news: unless Hossa is willing to play for about $4 million a year (a substantial cut from his 2008 salary of around $7 million) or take a one-year deal, he's not coming back to Pittsburgh. The Penguins have an obscene amount of their cap locked up in a few players (after Fleury, Malkin, and Staal's deals they'll join Sidney Crosby, Ryan Whitney, and Sergei Gonchar as very well compensated Penguins) and they can't afford to add another big salary. Keeping Hossa at anything near what he's worth just isn't an option.

Marian Hossa Is Toying With Penguin Fans originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PuckToons: M.A. Fleury Pulls a "Chris Phillips"

Earl Sleek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

Every Thursday, Earl Sleek will conspire with his pen and scanner to bring you another installment of PuckToons. Hopefully you will find these amusing, relevant, well-drawn, or you're a person who is tolerant towards mediocrity.

It was quite a finish for this year's Stanley Cup Finals last night, as the Detroit Red Wings ended their dominant season and postseason with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. I can't help feeling for Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, though, as his attempt to sit on a loose puck in the third period literally backfired into the net on what would prove to be the cup-winning goal.

It may take Penguins fans a while for the sting of that goal to wear off, especially if opposing fans start using the phrase "pulling a Fleury" to describe self-inflicted wounds. Still, at least it isn't exactly an unprecedented embarrassment - if you recall, last year's cup-winning goal occurred when an unpressured Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips put the puck past his teammate Ray Emery in the second period of Game Five.

Overall, Fleury had a tremendous postseason and shouldn't let this one blunder tarnish his reputation. Still, if he's as lucky as Phillips, someone else will score next year's cup-winning goal into their own net and help hockey fans move past Fleury's rubber-pants play.

PuckToons: M.A. Fleury Pulls a "Chris Phillips" originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Hockeytown is Titletown

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

The Stanley Cup has escaped the clutches of its caretakers, preferring to rest in the hands of sweaty, bearded men (except for Chris Osgood, who doesn't do beards, apparently) wearing white and red.

Detroit overcame Pittsburgh's home ice advantage and skated Stanley after a 3-2 win in Game Six Wednesday night. The Wings have now won an incredible 13 straight Game Sixes when leading series 3-2. 10 of those 13 have been on the road.

That stat should tell you all you need to know about Detroit's dominance, both in these playoffs and in this league over the last 11 playoff seasons. They have four Cups in that span, which is probably as close to a dynasty as you're going to see in this era of salary caps and parity and all that stuff.

Game Six didn't start well for the Penguins. An early Detroit power play was converted when Brian Rafalski's left point shot went in off Pittsburgh defenseman Hal Gill. Rafalski was open after the Penguins collapsed on Henrik Zetterberg in the right circle. Zetterberg dished the puck back to Rafalski for the shot. The period was closely contended, but Detroit had a 1-0 lead after one.

It was enough to silence the Pittsburgh fans a little bit, but in all honesty, the Penguins played well enough to make one think they still had a shot. Even after falling behind, they didn't lose their compusure, as they had in the first two games of the series.

(Coming up: More on Game Six, the officials remain in the spotlight after the drama of Game Five, links you can enjoy, and a YouTube of some sort)

Detroit really put a defensive clamp on the Penguins in the second period. They were all over Pittsburgh's skill players, and with the ice being awful in Pittsburgh, life wasn't easy for the likes of Crosby, Hossa, and Malkin.

As Pittsburgh began to play more and more tentatively, perhaps realizing that every mistake they made left them more susceptible to a goal than they could afford, the Wings took advantage of a rare Marc-Andre Fleury mistake (at least, as the last couple games went) to double their lead. Fleury made the initial save on a shot by Mikael Samuelsson, but Valtteri Filppula was there to take advantage of a bad rebound by Fleury. He backhanded a soft shot past Fleury before he could get back in position, and the Wings had a 2-0 lead.

Pittsburgh found an answer on the power play. Evgeni Malkin (!) wristed a beautiful shot past Osgood from the left wing to cut the lead in half. It set us up for a dramatic third period, with the Stanley Cup again on the line for Detroit.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, this wasn't Fleury's night. Having already given up one bad goal in the second, Fleury's lack of puck control and puck sense cost the Pens big-time in the third. Zetterberg took a quick wrister from the left circle, and Fleury closed the pads on the low shot. He didn't stop the puck, which trickled through and stopped in the blue paint. Fleury realized he didn't have it, flopped back to lay on it, and inadvertently knocked it into his own net, giving Detroit a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead.

A late power-play goal by Pittsburgh cut the lead to 3-2, but the Pens got no closer, and their inability to generate even-strength chances in the third period was striking. A frantic final two minutes, keyed by the power play and subsequent quick goal, just wasn't enough for the Penguins. Their fans were total class afterward, giving their team multiple standing ovations, and chanting the name of their goaltender.

Detroit was the best defensive team in the league during the regular season, and it definitely showed when their four series were decided. Nashville was gallant in their effort, but couldn't generate much of anything in the fifth or sixth games. Colorado did nothing in four games. Dallas couldn't launch any kind of comeback in their sixth game against Detroit. The Red Wings, an amazingly skilled offensive bunch, showed their two-way skill all year long. Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg made it clear that there is a good reason for both to be Selke Trophy finalists.

Late in the third, Stanley safely exited the box and was given a quick shine for his appearance later in the evening. There was no Pittsburgh comeback on this night.

Your Conn Smythe winner (playoff MVP) is Zetterberg. It's fitting that he got the game-winner, as he was clearly Detroit's best player in these playoffs. The near-singlehanded penalty kill in Game Four will be the great image of this series. It was also the turning point for the Red Wings.

Congratulations, Detroit. I still don't like it when people say "Hockeytown", but right now, you are. Enjoy and savor, because your team is the best in the sport. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they were again next season, given how well-coached they are and how awesome their top players are.

Finally, I want to tip my cap to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Many wrote them off, especially after the way the series started. However, the heart and grit they showed was enough to keep them in this. They weren't as talented, or skilled, or physical, or well-coached as Detroit. But they showed they undoubtedly, unarguably, belonged on the same ice as the best team in the sport. You don't often get to do much better than that.

For Fleury, there will be better nights. Hopefully, the last two goals allowed in this long journey won't haunt a tremendously talented young goaltender for years to come.

The officials continue in the spotlight. After two goaltender interference penalties were called against Detroit during overtime Monday night, it was obvious that the NHL would have to field questions and criticisms about their officials. Again.

Offering a defense of the controversial calls (sort of) was Mike Brophy of The Hockey News:

NHL referees are damned if they do and damned if they don't. While they don't like the idea of calling goalie interference in overtime, let alone twice in extra time, they also don't relish the idea of a goalie being hit by an opponent and the winning goal being scored while the fallen goaltender is unable to do his job. It is a discretionary call.

"We don't want the Stanley Cup-winning goal being scored with the goalie on his back after being crashed into," said NHL executive Kris King.

The more controversial of the two was on Dan Cleary, who courageously drove to the net looking to win it for his team and become the first player from Newfoundland to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody in the rink who thought his motive was to wipe out Fleury, but the call was made nonetheless.

Frankly, I would have been happier if the referee stopped play to see if Fleury was OK and didn't penalize Cleary.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau was on NHL Live (XM Radio or on the NHL Network) Tuesday, and what he said basically boils down to "Don't blame the refs; blame the rule". He made it sound as if the league has virtually no choice but to address the issue this summer.

Random YouTube. Hockey is officially over. However, it's now summer. Just for fun, let Will Smith tell you about it.

In case you missed it, FanHouse hosted a live chat Wednesday afternoon with Carolina defenseman Bret Hedican. He was super. I fully recommend taking a few minutes to look it over if you couldn't make it here for the chat.

Got a Tip ... or a link you'd like to share with us? Just use this form to let us know.

Thank yous. Eric McErlain e-mailed me in early March, inviting me to join the NHL crew here at FanHouse. I can't thank him enough for reaching out to me and allowing me to be a part of this. Thanks also to the rest of the NHL writers, who welcomed me with open arms (not literally).

Thanks also to Mrs. Ciskie. My beautiful wife endures a lot so I can do work that I enjoy, whether that be here at FanHouse or at my "real job". I thank her, even though "thank you" doesn't do justice to her understanding, patience, and general coolness.

I also want to thank all our readers. Without your clicks, we wouldn't be here. I hope you visit often during the off-season.

The Ice Sheet: Hockeytown is Titletown originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Accomplishments, Expectations, and the 2007-2008 Pittsburgh Penguins

Pat Lackey — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:10:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Eastern, Stanley Cup

Losing is something that I thought I could handle. When I'm not writing here at FanHouse, I spend a lot of time writing a Pittsburgh Pirates blog. When I was a freshman and a junior in college at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, I routinely plunked down my money to watch awful hockey teams lose games. Still, despite absorbing literally thousands of losses as a sports fan, I find myself staring blankly at a computer screen right now trying to describe what happened to my Pittsburgh Penguins tonight and every time I think about what just happened, part of me goes numb.

There's something special that happens when a community attaches itself to a team. Pittsburgh loves its Steelers, but that's exactly what Pittsburgh loves. The Steelers. Football players and their personalities blend into faceless robots on the field. The Steelers have a mystique and an aura that Pittsburgh will always love, no matter who pulls on black and gold jerseys. Hockey is different. It's a team sport that's defined by individuals and it was the players, not the team, that Pittsburgh attached itself to this year.

This Penguin team was special to watch because we watched them gel and grow before our eyes this year. On October 5th in Raleigh, they were a team that was strongly dependent on Sidney Crosby, waiting for their star to step up and make something happen. They looked like a team that was at least a year away from truly contending. On June 4th in Pittsburgh, they were a complete hockey team that had exceeded expectations, fell just short in crunch-time and watched the Red Wings hoist the Stanley Cup with a million "what-ifs" dancing in their heads.

What if Crosby's last second shot trickled in? What if Fleury fell on Zetterberg's puck instead of pushing it into his own net? What if Zetterberg didn't jam Crosby's stick in that 5-on-3 in Game Four? What if it didn't take two games for the Penguins to get the gleam of the Cup out of their eyes and play real hockey? I could go on forever, but what-ifs are meaningless. The Red Wings are the champs and they deserve it.

What really stings, though, is the way that the series was lost. Evgeni Malkin carried the team through 2+ rounds of these playoffs, but suddenly the well went dry. I've heard a lot of reasons why (OK, I've heard two, either bruised ribs or the flu), but none of them matter. As much as he helped the Penguins early, he hurt them late and that's the truth. What's maddening is to see people insinuate that he just didn't care or that he was too soft to compete in the Finals. Anyone that watched closely could see Geno die a little with each turnover and in return, jump through the roof when Petr Sykora turned his pass into a dramatic over-time winner in Game 5. When Crosby crumpled with a hit in Game Six, Malkin darted into the offensive zone, made a quick move, and threw a shot on net. Evgeni Malkin cares as much about the Stanley Cup and the Pittsburgh Penguins as anyone in the world, and it was heartbreaking to see him crumpled on the ice after the series was lost. Without Geno, there is no trip to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Penguins.

The same goes for Marc-Andre Fleury. After a poor performance against Ottawa last year, it seemed that he'd put his playoff demons behind him and backstopped the Penguins into the finals with great play through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. When all seemed lost in the Finals, he made 55 saves, many of the spectacular variety, to single-handedly pull the Penguins through an ugly third period and first overtime and to a victory. To see the goal that lost the Cup come on a badly flubbed play by him is like a knife to the gut. Fleury deserves better than that and he deserves better than all of the second-guessing he's going to get at the first sign of adversity next year. Without Fleury, there is no trip to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Penguins.

I could write a similar paragraph for every single member of the team. This was a special team in the hearts of Pittsburgh, one that slowly grew on us through the season as the calendar turned. What's particularly painful about this loss is that while Malkin, Fleury, and Crosby will probably get another shot at Stanley in black and gold, not everyone on this team will. Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik are two players from the dark days of the franchise that worked harder than anyone to go from scrubs on one of the worst teams in the league to key members of a team that was inches away from who knows what. Marian Hossa is a true professional who came to Pittsburgh and worked harder than anyone on both sides of the ice to destroy his reputation as a choker and push the Penguins to another level. These guys might get another shot at a Cup, but it won't be with Pittsburgh, and it's sad to watch them go.

As hard as it is to say with the numbness still lingering, this was a great season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Mellon Arena rocked all year like it hasn't since Mario's return in 2000 and 2001. And while some players will be gone next year, other players grew by leaps and bounds this year. Sidney Crosby became a true captain, Evgeni Malkin evolved into a real super star, and Marc-Andre Fleury finally started to tap into his vast potential. It would be truly surprising if none of them get another shot at a Cup with the Penguins. Unfortunately, none of that matters right now, because all I see when I close my eyes is Crosby's desperate backhander skipping over Osgood's glove and defiantly choosing not to cross the goal line as the final horn blows, despite countless of people trying to will it over.

No one can ever be truly immune to losing.

Accomplishments, Expectations, and the 2007-2008 Pittsburgh Penguins originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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