Jarkko Ruutu would seem, on some levels, to be an ideal soldier.

He's physically fit. Intelligent. Fearless. Able to carry out instructions. Focused on group goals, not individual objectives.

But Ruutu, who is subject to recall by the Finnish Defense Force anytime circumstances warrant it -- "If Finland goes to war, all the guys have to go," he said -- probably won't be the centerpiece of a recruiting drive anytime soon, because he's a bit hazy on some of the finer points of his military commitment.

Like his rank. "I'm after 'rookie,' whatever it's called."

And the piece of equipment to which he is assigned at the Helsinki airport. "I don't know what it's called. It's called an air-defense gun, or whatever. It's big. Two guys sit on it, and it has two pipes."

The weapon in question presumably is an anti-aircraft gun, and the news that should help all of Finland rest a bit easier is that Ruutu has a firm grasp of his role in operating it.

"I build the ammo and load the gun," he said. "[The shooters] are two other guys. Smart guys. I'm just a plugger, like always."

Finland requires all men between ages 18 and 28 to serve in the military, and Ruutu fulfilled his obligation with an eight-month hitch years ago.

He was able to draw an assignment in Helsinki, which he wanted, and to take care of his military commitment without having it interfere with hockey.

"I went for three months, then was off during the season and when the season was over, went for five months," he said.

While Ruutu obviously hopes the military never needs him, he realizes that there are no guarantees his country won't be involved in a conflict at some point.

"You never know," he said. "We're right next to Russia. We've had to fight them before."

Defense recognized

The Penguins' big-time offensive talents have gotten most of the attention in the playoffs, and that isn't likely to change during the Stanley Cup final.

Nonetheless, their team-wide commitment to solid defense has made an impression on every opponent they've faced this postseason.

"You've got to give them credit," Philadelphia forward R.J. Umberger said. "They're playing a very sound, defense-first game."

That includes, he noted, Sidney Crosby, who puts as much energy into preventing goals as he does trying to produce them. And that, said Umberger -- who rooted for the Penguins' championship teams in 1991 and '92 while growing up in Plum -- is reminiscent of the way another high-profile center performed in those days.

"I think you saw it back with Mario [Lemieux]," he said. "Mario was probably one of the best defensive players in the playoffs. He did his job and he did it well, and no one realized how good he was at defense in the playoffs.

"Offensively, [Crosby's] skills carry him, but he's done a good job of being responsible in his own end."

A goal is a goal

Pascal Dupuis plays left wing on the No. 1 line with Crosby and Marian Hossa, but had gone eight games without a goal before getting the final one in Game 5.

That one wasn't necessarily a tribute to his soft hands -- after all, Dupuis got credit for it when a Hossa shot deflected off the inside of his leg and sailed past Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron -- but Dupuis didn't have any qualms about accepting it.

"I've missed so many," he said. "I'll take that one."

Rest is good

The Penguins have played 14 games in these playoffs -- that's two over the minimum -- and that has translated to a lot of time off between rounds.

Consequently, players have had quite a few days off, including yesterday. That gives them an opportunity to recharge their energy reserves and recover from the injuries -- some minor, some not -- that accumulate over the course of a series.

"The more rest, the better for us," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "A lot of people questioned whether long layoffs were a positive or a negative, but I think for us, it's definitely been a positive."