Q: With all of the Pens' success lately, there seems to be little mention of their farm system. With the possibility of losing some good players to free agency, will the Pens have players capable of filling the holes?

Rob Groff, Canandaigua, N.Y.

MOLINARI: Not really, at least based on performances this season.

While rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski did not look out of place while playing in three games at this level, prospects like Ryan Stone and Jonathan Filewich showed little during NHL auditions to suggest they are ready for long-term employment in the league. That could change by next season, of course, but management certainly can't be counting on them to fill significant roles now handled by free-agents-to-be like Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Jarkko Ruutu and Gary Roberts.

Q: I noticed that Games 5 and 6 (of the Penguins-Ottawa series) are scheduled on back-to-back days, April 19 and 20. Is there a precedent or a rule that allows for the second game to be rescheduled if, say, the game the night before is a quintuple-overtime marathon? I know the playoffs are about being a warrior and battling through obstacles, but I wonder if the NHL would be concerned that players wouldn't be sharp and would be more susceptible to injury, not to mention how the on-ice product would suffer.

John Falcone, Paramus, N.J.

MOLINARI: The NHL might be concerned about the issues you raise, John, but not so much that it makes any allowances for altering the schedule in the event circumstances such as the one you describe arise.

As one league executive put it, "There is no provision for altering the schedule. It is acknowledged that players are prepared to overcome any challenge during the playoffs, and playing under this scenario certainly would qualify."

Consider that just another pebble in the mountain of evidence explaining why the Stanley Cup is the most difficult championship to win in team sports.

Q: What's the reason for keeping Dany Sabourin up?

Chris Momberger, Pittsburgh

MOLINARI: For a while the Penguins didn't want to send him to Wilkes-Barre because he would have had to go through waivers, and there's a possibility he wouldn't have been able to clear. (Remember, they tried that back in the fall of 2006, and Vancouver claimed him to back up Roberto Luongo, because there's usually a market for a competent No. 2 with a modest salary.)

With Ty Conklin a good candidate to move on via free agency this summer -- his work this season certainly should prompt some club to offer him a one-way contract -- the Penguins want to make sure they retain Sabourin to play behind Marc-Andre Fleury next season.

The primary reason to keep him on the major-league roster now is as an insurance policy, in case Fleury is injured. Indeed, by having Fleury on hand at all times, the Penguins, per NHL rules, would be able to turn to him if both Fleury and Conklin were hurt in the same game.

What's more, by keeping Sabourin in the NHL, rookie goalies John Curry and David Brown are getting a chance to gain experience in high-stakes games during the stretch drive in the American Hockey League. That can only be a plus for their development, and for management's ability to assess whether either will fit into the organization's long-term plans.