Penguins Q&A with Dave Molinari

Friday, May 27, 2005

Q: With the talk about the Pens getting Sidney Crosby No. 1 overall in the 2005 draft, here are some tough questions for you: Would Crosby start in the NHL or AHL? What if (Evgeni) Malkin comes in, would they play both teenagers immediately? Where? I could see Malkin on a line with (Konstantin) Koltsov and (Aleksey) Morozov, but where does Crosby play? There was talk of Ryan Malone playing in the middle, with Mario (Lemieux) and (Mark) Recchi on the top line. Any thoughts where centers (Milan) Kraft, (Lasse) Pirjeta and possibly (Kris) Beech will play?

Rick Silverman of Scott

MOLINARI: Until the NHL decides precisely how the order of selection for the 2005 draft will be handled, no one should invest too much time or emotion in any Crosby-as-a-Penguin scenario. And regardless of what plan the league ultimately adopts, it's safe to assume the Penguins will have less of a chance to get Crosby than they did of landing Alexander Ovechkin a year ago. The only question at this point is, how much less of a chance?

What's far more certain is that unless there is a radical change in the NHL's working agreement with major-junior hockey, Crosby would have to either stick in the NHL or return to Rimouski in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League next season. The American Hockey League is not a realistic option, because he would have to be offered back to his junior team before he could be assigned out of the NHL, and the Oceanic would take him back in a millisecond. The Penguins would be free to send Crosby to Wilkes-Barre only after the Oceanic's season ended, much as they did with Marc-Andre Fleury after Cape Breton was knocked out of the QMJHL playoffs in 2004.

Whether the Penguins would keep both Malkin and Crosby hinges on several things -- not the least of which is which free-agent centers they'll sign once a new collective bargaining agreement is in place -- but if both seem capable of performing at this level without having their long-term development stunted, it would make sense to get both into the NHL at the earliest opportunity. They would be two of the key building blocks on a young team the Penguins would like to see grow into a championship contender.

Speculating on line combinations is fun, but it's an exercise in futility at a time when the makeup of the Penguins' roster is so uncertain. Adding an Alexei Zhamnov or Alex Kovalev or Zigmund Palffy would have a profound impact on how and where other players would be used. As for Kraft, Pirjeta and Beech, all have shown things that suggest they could be effective in the NHL, but none has done it consistently enough to be guaranteed of anything heading into training camp.

Q: Given the collapse of the Baby Penguins in the AHL playoffs against Philadelphia, is there any noticeable sag of optimism in Pittsburgh as to the quality of some of their young prospects for next season? Are the Penguins looking more seriously into the free-agent market now?

Rick McKee of Venice, Fla.

MOLINARI: The Baby Penguins' implosion against Philadelphia during the Calder Cup playoffs was a one-period deal. Giving up six unanswered goals during the third period of what became a 7-4 loss to the Phantoms in Game 5 of the second round had to be exasperating to everyone in the organization, but a single lapse, no matter how grievous, isn't reason enough for Penguins officials to seriously alter their opinion on the potential of their prospects, or to deviate from the building program on which the franchise has embarked.

The prevailing sentiment for more than a year has been that the Penguins will be aggressive in the free-agent market once a new CBA is worked out, and nothing that happened in the AHL playoffs -- whether the Baby Penguins lost their first four games or won the Calder Cup -- was going to change that.

Q: I don't mind every team having a shot at the No. 1 choice in the entry draft, but the best teams should have a really small shot in comparison to the worst teams over the past few years. They should compile teams' records for the last three years, with 30th place having the best shot and first having the worst. This is clearly manipulation by the big teams and the NHL to get Crosby in a bigger market. If he ends up somewhere like Toronto or Detroit, I will be extremely upset with the NHL.

Jeffrey Pequeneza of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

MOLINARI: Few people disagree that the NHL wouldn't object to seeing Crosby end up in a major media market; after what its fans have been through since the labor dispute began, the league certainly will need all the feel-good stories it can get. Crosby, who is supremely talented and well-spoken, seems to qualify on all counts, and would be a logical choice to be one of the primary post-lockout faces of the NHL.

Still, as has been mentioned in this space before, the last thing the NHL wants to deal with as it attempts to recapture its following after losing an entire season is a scandal caused by trying to manipulate the draft order so that Crosby ends up in a particular city. Consequently, the draft-order proposals that would give all 30 clubs a shot at the No. 1 choice in the draft should be viewed not as a effort to select the franchise for which Crosby will play, but as a payback of sorts to profitable franchises like Philadelphia, Toronto and Detroit that will be on the giving end of the revenue-sharing most observers believe will be part of the next collective bargaining agreement. The best-case scenario for those teams, though, is that all 30 clubs would be given an equal chance at ending up with the top pick, and a 3.33 percent possibility of hitting it big is a bit shy of a sure thing.

Q: I was in Tampa's airport coming back from vacation and stopped in a sports store. They had souvenirs for all of their other sports, even the Yankees, who hold spring training there, but I couldn't find anything for the Lightning. I asked the sales person, and he said they didn't have any hockey merchandise. Tampa Bay just won the Stanley Cup, although it was a year ago. Is anybody at NHL headquarters listening?

Art Peternel of Franklin Park

MOLINARI: The NHL doesn't need anecdotal evidence like that to see where it shows up on the sporting radar these days; it has hard polling data that make the point quite emphatically. There can't be many people associated with the league who fail to wince when they see the numbers on how many hockey fans -- including those in Canada, where the game's following is reputed to be hardcore -- have gotten by quite nicely during the lockout, and have found other ways to spend their free time and discretionary dollars.

Despite all of that, however, the Tampa airport probably isn't the best place to research the state of hockey interest in North America. The Lightning has expanded its fan base considerably during the past few years, when it evolved from one of the league's worst teams to one of its best and most entertaining, but hockey isn't exactly part of the social fabric in Tampa. That doesn't mean Lightning partisans won't be back -- in force, and in full voice -- when the NHL returns. Just that there aren't enough who are truly committed to the team or the game to make it worthwhile for an airport store to be selling Lightning T-shirts nearly 12 months after the club's most recent game.

Q: Wouldn't the rumored proposal of a floating cap, with player salaries linked to team revenue, just ensure that smaller-market, or for that matter, poor-performing teams would be unable to be competitive? It seems to me that under this system, the teams with the lowest cap would never have the option to bet their future on star players to better their situation, thus mandating the downward spiral with bureaucracy instead of letting it come naturally with greed.

Jeremy Stuck of Dixon, Ill.

MOLINARI: There seems to be a misunderstanding among some fans about precisely what is meant by a floating salary cap that is tied to team revenues. It doesn't not mean that each team's cap figure will be based on its own revenues; instead, each team will have the same cap range -- say, hypothetically, a $30 million minimum and $40 million maximum -- for a given season.

The "floating" part means that the cap range would be adjusted each year to reflect an increase or decrease in the cumulative revenues of the 30 teams. If those revenues go up, so will the cap range. And if they fall, the cap range will do likewise. Not all 30 teams will spend precisely the same amount on players each year -- having a range gives each club's management some latitude in how much it spends -- but the gap between the floor and ceiling figures to be small enough that teams like the Penguins no longer will have to compete against opponents whose payrolls are two, three or four times the size of their own.

Q: Tom Barrasso has won two Stanley Cups, a Calder, a Vezina, a Jennings and made the NHL post-season all-star teams three times. He also put up some great numbers playing for a more defensive team in1998 and 1099. In my opinion, he is one of the best Americans to ever play in the NHL and, even though some other goalies might have been flashier, is the best American goalie of all time. What do you think his chances are to get into the Hall of Fame?

Jason Zilian of Carlstadt, N. J.

MOLINARI: Barrasso, who last played in the NHL during the 2002-03 season, won't be eligible for induction until next year, but a pretty good indication of his prospects should come when the 18-member selection committee meets June 8 to choose the Class of 2005. The crop of candidates, which includes former Penguins wingers Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet, is among the weakest in recent memory, and its headliner is a guy, Mike Vernon, whose career stats are similar to Barrasso's. Vernon won 385 games and two Stanley Cups, once being named playoff MVP; Barrasso won 369 games and two Cups.

If Vernon doesn't get in when going against such a watered-down field -- this might be a year when players who had been bypassed previously, like Dino Ciccarelli and Glenn Anderson (if not Soviet stars such as Valeri Kharmlamov and Boris Mikhailov), will be selected -- it doesn't say much for Barrasso's chances a year from now. Winning 369 games in the NHL obviously is an impressive feat, but isn't enough to guarantee induction: Andy Moog has 372 victories and three Cups, and still hasn't been picked for the Hall.

And while Barrasso certainly is on the short list of candidates to be considered as the finest U.S. goalie of all-time, it wouldn't be hard to make a case that Mike Richter deserves that distinction. A few old-timers might even be inclined to argue on behalf of Frankie "Mr Zero" Brimsek, a Hall of Famer who won two Cups in 10 seasons.

Q: With a reasonable salary cap, and if Mario gets the slots license, wouldn't the Pens be in hockey heaven? A new arena and no financial problems?

Bob Tiber of Greensburg

MOLINARI: Penguins officials have contended for years that their long-term viability in this market hinged on two things: Getting a more owner-friendly CBA and a new arena. The details of the CBA still are being negotiated, of course, so there's no way of knowing precisely what the final deal will look like. It is clear, though, that it will create a business climate that is far more favorable for the Penguins than the one that existed before the lockout.

The second part of the equation remains more problematic, however, because there is no reason to believe the state will be awarding the license for the Downtown slots parlor anytime soon -- the application process hasn't even been finalized -- and having Lemieux and his partners get that license and put some of the proceeds into an arena represents the Penguins' best hope of getting a new building. If Lemieux's group wouldn't get the license -- and if the group that does wouldn't be compelled to put money into an arena -- it's pretty much inevitable that the Penguins, whose lease at Mellon Arena expires in 2007, would go up for sale.

The irony of that would be that, with the owner-friendly CBA the Penguins need so badly in place, NHL franchises likely will be much more attractive to prospective buyers in cities around North America than they would have been a year ago. Which means that something the Penguins needed to stay here could actually speed the process of making them relocate.

Last week's question about the most enduring memories of the Penguins' Stanley Cup runs in 1991 and 1992 inspired a deluge of responses, even though some younger Q&A readers probably have few, if any, recollections of the playoffs that culminated in final-round victories over Minnesota and Chicago, respectively. A sampling of the responses, with most edited for brevity and/or clarity:

Robert Williams of Taegu, South Korea: My favorite Stanley Cup memory is from Game 6 against Minnesota. I was working at Brandy's in the Strip as a waiter, and we had 12-15 Minnesotans who were in town for a convention come in to the bar to watch the game. Much smack was talked by this group before the game, but they were quickly silenced by Mario and the Pens. They didn't bother to stay for the end of the game.

Mike Emrick of St. Clair, Mich.: I remember going onto the ice at Chicago Stadium at the horn (ending Game 4 of the 1992 final) for Sportschannel America as their designated post-game interviewer and grabbing Kjell Samuellsson. I thought, "Here will be a guy who can make sense of it." I recall I got him about 10 seconds after the horn and he kept yelling,."Ayyyy, Ayyyyy." Eventually, he talked about how excited he was. But, it was his first (and only Cup) and euphoria took over where previously sensible conversations had been. (Molinari note: Play-by-play man Mike Emrick received the 2004 Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey in the United States, and is one of the NHL's most accomplished and respected broadcasters.)

Maj. Christopher Walton of Fort Campbell, Ky.: My best memory of the first Stanley Cup is my wife giving me the play-by-play over a MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System) station during the final moments of the last game. I was still in Iraq as a part of Operation Desert Storm at the time. The conversation went something like this:

Maria: "The Pens just scored again, over."

Chris: "Yes!, over."

By the way, it was about four o'clock in the morning, my time. As happy as I was that the Pens were going to win the Cup, I couldn't help being a bit upset by the fact that they waited until I couldn't see any of it, after I had watched them get beaten so badly, and so often, over the years. I was lucky enough to be home for the win over Chicago. (Molinari note: Play-by-play woman Maria Walton has not received the Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey in the United States. Not yet, anyway.)

Joshua Panitzke of Shadyside: Seeing Jim Paek score in Game 6 of the final in 1991. I, being 10 at the time, distinctly remember how I felt. Hockey instantly became my favorite sport, something that will never change.

Jeff Kost of Louisville, Colo.: "The Save" by Frank Pietrangelo on Peter Statsny to preserve the 2-1 lead in Game 6 against the Devils in '91, quite possibly saving the series for the Pens.

Brian Jackson of San Francisco, Calif.: Off ice: Kevin Stevens' guarantee of a series victory after losing the first two games to Boston (in 1991). On ice: Ron Francis' slap shot from center ice against the Rangers (in Game 4 of Round 2 in 1992) and Jaromir Jagr's goal in Game 1 against Chicago.

Barry Davis of Felton, Pa: My most enduring memory of the Cup years was a lesson that Bryan Trottier offered to hockey fans and his teammates. With a fistful of Cup rings, no one on the ice had a better reason to be complacent than Trottier but, as I recall, he was more effusive in is his joy than just about anyone. Despite being among the senior players in the league, he truly looked like a kid that night, which allowed the fans to get about as close as possible to understanding that magical lifetime accomplishment for a hockey player.

Alex McLachlan of Johnstown: The defining moment of the Penguins' first Stanley Cup run was Ulf Samuelsson's assignment against Boston's Cam Neely in the Wales Conference championship. Neely was the unstoppable force, the prototype power forward. ... It was a joy to watch the battles those two had.

Don Clawges of Morgantown, W. Va.: Being at the Civic Arena when the Pens were going on the power play. The whole place holding up shark fins while the theme from "Jaws" played. I get chills just thinking about it.

Michael Goldberg of Annapolis, Md.: A few days after the first Cup, I was driving on Washington Road toward South Hills Village and suddenly found myself stuck in a traffic jam, with hundreds of cars honking their horns. Why, you ask? Because Jiri Hrdina and the Cup were sticking out of the sunroof of his limo.

Lorrie Barkins of Fairfield, Pa.: I grew up with the Penguins when most people in Pittsburgh did not care about them. The early '90s found me many states away, so one of my favorite memories is sitting in my automobile listening to the Penguins defeat the North Stars. To this day, I have not seen one of those exciting playoff games for either Stanley Cup year. I do not need to. I saw enough in my imagination.

John Lubic of Ambridge: Without a doubt, the most lasting memory from the Stanley Cup runs was New York forward Adam Graves breaking Mario Lemieux's wrist, Jaromir Jagr subsequently torching the Rangers and Lemieux's triumphant return in the Wales Conference final for Game 2 against Boston and getting two goals and an assist.

Kevin of Boulder, Colo.: It was about five hours after the Penguins had just won their first-ever Stanley Cup. It was 3 a.m., the old Pittsburgh International Airport, and 30,000 people were waiting for their heroes to return home. I remember the road after exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel, backed up all the way from the airport with cars, people honking their horns and running up and down the highway slapping hands. And I remember when the team finally arrived at the airport, the bedlam that followed as Mario and the team ran through the airport.

Kurt Kolasinski of Charlottesville, Va: When the Pens were driving toward their second Cup, I was living in Berlin, Germany. A friend who had cable TV gave me the keys to his apartment and said that I could watch the final game live at 3 in the morning as long as I didn't wake him up. I put his TV on the balcony and sat down with a six-pack. When the Pens clinched it, it was 6 in the morning. I was riding my bike through the streets of Berlin and had no one to celebrate with. I wanted to scream with joy, but what could I do? So I took myself out for the best champagne breakfast I could find.

Sean Ritter of Los Angeles, Calif.: The most memorable part of (the 1991 Cup), as well as the following season, was the energy and unity of the people of Pittsburgh. Anywhere you went had a Pens game on, TV or radio. Truly unforgettable times, and by far the best hockey I've ever seen.

Terry of Cary, N.C.: At the time of the Cups, I had recently joined the Navy. I was stationed in Pensacola, Fla., and, at that time, there was virtually no coverage of the NHL outside of NHL cities, especially in the South. I had to get most of my game details from the box scores in newspapers like USA Today often a day or two late. So what is my most enduring memory of either Cup run? That after suffering through years of some really awful Penguins hockey, I got to see almost nothing from the two greatest seasons in Penguins history.

Jeff Yot of Pittsburgh: My favorite Cup year moment followed the 1992 win. At a place called the Dragon Ice Company in the South Side, I had the opportunity to drink champagne from the Cup while Jaromir Jagr poured it into my mouth.

Jason Ferrante of Monroeville: The most exciting moment of either Cup year and, to me at least, the most exciting moment in Penguins history, was Mario Lemieux's game-winning goal in Game 1 of the 1992 final against the Blackhawks. ... I jumped up so high off of the couch that I hit the ceiling with my hands. Most entertaining win in Penguins history.

Craig Cross of Tampa, Fla.: The thing I remember most about the Cup years is watching shots of Jim Belushi cheering for the Blackhawks. I remember laughing at him as he cheered and held signs, while the Pens were handing his team their butts.

Marda Hook of New York: City: I was a brand-new hockey fan in 1991 and didn't know enough to plan to be at home to watch the game. We already had baseball tickets for that night. I clearly remember sitting at the Pirates game and eight different times there were unexplained cheers -- unexplained only if you didn't notice that half the fans were also listening to the radio.

Steve Mathess of Wellsville, Ohio: My most memorable moment in the Pens' playoff runs was a goal that was not a goal. In Game 6 of the first series in 1991 against the Devils, the Pens were leading, 4-3, in the second period. Laurie Boschman of the Devils apparently scored the tying goal with 1:32 remaining in the period. Referee Bill McCreary dis-allowed the goal, ruling that Boschman directed the puck with his skate. The replay clearly showed that the puck went off Boshman's stick. It's quite possible that all the subsequent memorable moments in Pens' playoff history would not have happened if that goal had been allowed.

Jack Lenenberg of Alpharetta, Ga.: Living in Boston in 1991, the most enduring Stanley Cup memory for me was Mark Recchi's game-winner in Game 6 vs. the Bruins. We drank in the bars and danced in the streets of Brighton, Mass. that night.

Mike Anitori of White Oak: It's impossible for me to select only one moment. The best I can do is narrow it down to one game: May 11, 1991, Game 6 Wales Conference final. I have a boatload of memories of that evening, but three stand out: Grant Jennings scoring an improbable, short-handed goal in the second period, Mark Recchi streaking down the off-wing and scoring the winning goal with a wicked wrister and Mario carrying the Prince of Wales Trophy around the Arena ice, the only time we ever saw a trophy presentation at the Igloo.

Reed David of Bethel Park: My most enduring memory of the Cup runs is of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll, Part I" or, as most folks know it, the "Hey!" song becoming a part of Pittsburgh folklore. I have heard it played for Pirates home runs at PNC Park and played it as a member of the University of Kentucky pep band during a basketball game at Rupp Arena, but as far as I'm concerned, that song is the Penguins.

Andrew Rothey of Upper St. Clair: The answer has to be the 1991 Lemieux goal against the North Stars. Coming through the neutral zone by himself, he split two defenders, Shawn Chambers and Neil Wilkinson, before breaking Jon Casey's ankles and scoring on a backhand. One of the greatest goals ever scored.

Brian of Imperial: I would have to say after being down two games to none in the Wales Conference final against Boston when Kevin Stevens said that the Pens will win the series. He, of course, was right, but for some reason people talk about when Mark Messier said that his Rangers would win and they did, it was for 1 game. This was winning four straight after being in the 0-2 gutter. (Note: When New York trailed New Jersey, 3-2, in the 1994 Eastern final, Messier guaranteed the Rangers would win Game 6. They did and, after also winning Game 7, went on to defeat Vancouver in seven games in the Cup final.)

Jonathan Clark of McDonald: I really can't pick just one moment: The 8-0 romp against the Stars, "The Save", Ulf crushing Cam Neely, coming back against the Caps, even seeing Bryan Trottier sliding across Three Rivers Stadium with the Cup.

Marc Finder of Buffalo Mills, Pa.: Watching Mario lead and play defense. For years, his skill and offensive production were a thing to behold, and about all we saw during the regular season. But when the playoffs began, he played defense, well. It was a shocking joy to see the run-and-gun team of my passion play defense and win, led by its captain and best player, Mario Lemieux.

Mark VanDeveer of Virginia Beach, Va.: My most enduring memory (actually, two) is from the first Cup year. I remember very clearly flying through Pittsburgh on my way to the Indy 500. I couldn't believe all the people in the airport, standing four and five deep around every TV watching the game. I couldn't believe I was in Pittsburgh and was going to miss seeing in person the long-awaited victory. The second memory is listening to the final game in my Indy friend's master bathroom because it was the best place in the house to hear Mike Lange. Nobody in the house could understand why anyone would sit in a bathroom to listen to a hockey game. Then again, they never saw Michel Briere knock out the Oakland Seals.

Bob Eckenrode of Turtle Creek: The first Stanley Cup will always be my favorite. I'll always remember sitting at my friend's house and, after the Pens' drumming of the North Stars, his aunt, who worked for USAir, called and asked us if we wanted to go to the old airport with her. Not only did we get to bypass all the fans, we got to go beyond security to the gate the team came in on. I got to high-five all the players, take pictures I still have and slap the Cup as one of the trainers ran it by.

Michael DiBello Jr. of Arlington, Va.: The Pens were beaten up all game in the first game of the 1992 Stanley Cup final against the Blackhawks, but were able to come back from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits and tie the game in the third period. Then, with 18 seconds left, Ronnie Francis won the draw and dumped the puck back to Larry Murphy, who put a shot on net from the blue line. Mario Lemieux came untouched toward the net and buried a one-timer past Eddie Belfour with 12.6 seconds left to win the game.

Mike Naydeck of Orlando, Fla.: Frank Pieterangelo's heroics. Not only the glove save against Stastny, but also the game after, when he shut the Devils out. It saved not only a shot, not only a series, but inspired a young team to do one of the most incredible feats in all sports, win Lord Stanley's Cup.

Len Erdner of South Park: On June 1, 1992, the day the Pens won their second Stanley Cup, at exactly 10:20 that morning, our daughter and first child was born. At 7:20 that evening, I told my wife it had been a wonderful day, but I had to get home to watch the Pens win their second Cup. I watched the game while making phone call after phone call about our great news. To this day, every time I ask Chelsea what day it is (on June 1), she says grudgingly, "It's the day the Pens won their second Stanley Cup."

Matt Favreau of New York City: Growing up in New York City as a diehard Penguin fan was never easy, considering all the Rangers fans around. Among all the memorable Pens moments of the early '90's, I must say the Pens/Rangers playoff matchup stands out. Most notably, the Adam Graves slash on Mario Lemieux's wrist. When I saw that, my heart sank. The New York media and fans supported Graves, and I thought Lemieux's broken wrist marked the end of the Pens Stanley Cup quest. I was furious. I endured a lot of abuse from my friends, all Rangers fans. When Lemieux unexpectedly returned to action with the cast on his wrist, at the level he did, to lead the Pens to the Cup, I remember thinking, 'It will never get better than this.'

Question of the Week: Which team do you regard as the Penguins' top current rival, and what was the best rivalry in franchise history?

First published on May 27, 2005 at 12:00 am

Click here for more professional hockey news.