It was blaring on the large screen TV in the players' lounge at Mellon Arena as the Penguins finished their morning skate yesterday, but interest in the Roger Clemens hearing -- or any other case where the United States Congress gets involved in sports -- was fair to middling.

"You obviously see it, you hear it, but it's not something that we keep up on," defenseman Darryl Sydor said.

What interest there is in the steroids investigation involving baseball or Sen. Arlen Specter's mission to investigate video spying in the NFL apparently seems foreign to the Penguins, even though those topics involve other pro athletes.

"You know what's going on, but it's not something we are worried about," winger Jarkko Ruutu said. "It's not a problem in our sport, and I don't believe it will be, either."

It's not that the Penguins are oblivious to national or world news. Several American players on the club were involved in a discussion about presidential candidates after a recent practice. It's just that the sports-government issues don't turn their heads much.

"It's always on the news and SportsCenter, so you end up watching it," defenseman Ryan Whitney said. "I think it gets a little boring. It's weird to see sports a part of Congress."

Winger Colby Armstrong, from the prairies of western Canada, is one of the few who finds U.S. congressional interest in sports a little intriguing.

"I don't know what to think of it," Armstrong said. "I've been following it a little bit. It's an unfortunate thing in sports to happen."

Armstrong sees a plus for the NHL -- no politicians, whether it's Congress or the Canadian Parliament, are coming after that league.

"Knock on wood, it's good for us [to be under radar]," Armstrong said. "I think we've got a good group of guys within the hockey world. We have a code to follow, and I think everyone does a great job of that. We'll try to continue to keep our noses clean."

The Boston Bruins, who played at Mellon Arena last night, have been looking for anything close to a spark as they struggle to keep their playoff aspirations alive.

They found an unlikely one a night earlier in Shawn Thornton, a tough guy who signed as a free agent last summer. Thanks to injury and scratches, he was playing in only his 32nd game.

Boston was trailing, 3-0, at Carolina when Thornton scored his first two goals of the season in a 37-second span. The Bruins then put on a spirited attempt to tie the score, although Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward held them off.

Carolina, which plays host to the Penguins tonight, jumped the Feb. 26 trade deadline with an impact deal earlier this week. The Hurricanes -- vying for what could likely be one or two playoff spots going to Southeast Division teams -- traded two core players from their 2006 Stanley Cup championship team, winger Cory Stillman and defenseman Mike Commodore, to Ottawa for mobile defenseman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves.

"When you win a championship with two guys like Cory and [Commodore], they're great guys, and they were an important part of it," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford told the News & Observer of Raleigh. "It was tough to part with those players, but it's unfortunate that's the way our business works."

If Commodore made an impression on Carolina and its fans, the club left an even more lasting one on him. He has the Hurricanes' logo tattooed on his ankle.

Coach Michel Therrien said with back-to-back games, "there's a good chance [goaltender] Dany Sabourin will play" tonight for the Penguins at Carolina. ... The Penguins scratched forward Kris Beech. Boston's scratches were forwards Chuck Kobasew (back) and Peter Schaefer (shin) and defenseman Bobby Allen (back).