The Penguins might not be having a boatload of success lately -- they took a five-game winless streak into last night's game against Philadelphia -- but that hasn't dampened their eagerness to come to the rink.

Although coach Michel Therrien made yesterday's morning skate optional, all the players except veterans Mark Recchi, John LeClair and Nils Ekman (illness) participated.

"Most of the kids were there," Therrien said, smiling.

Last week, Therrien surprised the team by canceling practice Thursday, but he said about three-quarters of the players showed up that day anyway.

"We play a lot of games and we're having a tough time recuperating from that long [West Coast] road trip last week," Therrien said. "But they want to be here."

The Penguins have a day off today. No telling how many players will ignore that.

Homecoming

R.J. Umberger, a Plum native, has seen many sides to the Penguins-Flyers intrastate rivalry.

"Growing up in the '90s, when the Penguins were so good with all those talented guys and winning two Stanley Cups, it was fun seeing them play against the Flyers," Umberger said. "

Now, I'm part of the Flyers and I want to be the one winning the Cup."

Umberger is a second-year center with the Flyers, who have been the better team the past several years. Not this season, though.

The Penguins had twice as many points and more than twice as many wins as Philadelphia before the game last night and had won their first two meetings by a combined 12-2.

"It's tough now because I'm part of the Flyers team," Umberger said of the rivalry.

"You don't want to be part of the team when it's having one of its worst seasons. We know we have a talented team. We just need to put a few good games together in a row."

The game last night was the start of a four-game road trip for the Flyers, who leave from Pittsburgh today for three games in California.

Umberger got to visit with his family some on Sunday night and again yesterday.

Brooks honored

Because of a lot of turnover, there aren't many current Penguins employees who remember Herb Brooks' time with the club.

Brooks, who guided the 1980 U.S. Olympic team to a monumental upset of the Soviet Union and to a gold medal, was inducted posthumously into the Hockey Hall of Fame last night. He spent his last eight years as coach and scout with the Penguins and died in an automobile accident in 2003.

"I never got a chance to meet him," Therrien said. "But I followed his career since he won the gold medal. It's a great accomplishment to finally get recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame and it's good that another member of this organization will be recognized."

Brooks became the 13th person with a tie to the Penguins to be inducted.

The others are Larry Murphy and Paul Coffey (2004), Craig Patrick (2001), Joe Mullen (2000), Mario Lemieux and Bryan Trottier (1997), Bob Johnson (1992), Scotty Bowman (1991), Andy Bathgate (1978), Tim Horton (1977) and Red Kelly (1969).

Slap shots

Therrien on trying to get his young players to listen when he instructs them on things such as not taking penalties: "It's like raising a family with kids, 2, 3 years old. You tell them, 'Don't touch the stove. You're going to get burned.' You've got to repeat it and repeat it, but it seems like that kid needs to touch the stove to figure it out for himself." ... Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren had the "interim" removed from his general manager title Saturday, and yesterday he made his first trade, reacquiring winger Todd Fedoruk from Anaheim in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft and future considerations. ... The Flyers' Peter Forsberg, who missed last night's game because of an ankle problem, starred in an NHL promotional ad called "Bed with Peter Forsberg" that was named one of October's best spots of the month by the national publication Adweek.