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Q: I have such a hard time watching Petr Sykora play. I know he is not cut from the same cloth as Kevin Stevens or Ryan Malone, but could he initiate contact once, or take a hit to make a play? I cringe when I see him in on the forecheck as he skates by and waves his stick, never finishing a check. In fairness, he would have to start one first. I realize there are lines dedicated to doing this, but how does he blatantly avoid contact while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Maklin clearly take the body? For me, if you can package him with a defenseman when the defense is healthy again, I am for it.

Christopher Diebold, Miami

MOLINARI: If the Penguins are disappointed -- or, at the very least -- surprised by anything about Sykora's performance this season, it probably is his paltry goal output (five, going into last night's game at Carolina) and not the lack of a physical edge to his game.

When Sykora was brought in as a free agent in 2007, the idea was to add a goal-scoring presence to the top two lines. He never really meshed with Crosby, but formed a fairly productive partnership with Malkin. Sykora finished the regular season with 28 goals in 81 games, then added six more -- including the dramatic, triple-overtime winner in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final -- in 20 postseason appearances.

Sykora does not play a physical game, and never has. The only time he should be mentioned anywhere near Stevens is if someone is doing an alphabetical listing of guys who have played for the Penguins. And while it's not unreasonable to ask him to finish checks, even if they are nowhere near punishing, there's not a whole lot of evidence to suggest he'll do that with any regularity.

Of course, if he can produce 30 or so goals, the Penguins likely will be able to overlook that, along with any other flaws in his game.

Q: Why are players who have not appeared in a game this season and will not be eligible to play in the All-Star Game allowed to be on the All-Star ballot? I believe fans should be voting on a player's productivity this season. Even though it always turns into a popularity contest, having injured players be able to (receive votes) just makes no sense to me. They shouldn't decide on the ballot until a month into the season, and when players become ineligible during the season (for example, Martin Brodeur), they should be taken off the ballot.

Mickey, Chicago

MOLINARI: Waiting until November to put together the all-star ballot probably could cause some production and distribution problems, so putting it off until then might not be terribly practical.

And really, considering the way some fans stuff the ballot box -- does anyone really think that the best player at every position in the Eastern Conference really works in Montreal? -- it's not like the process drips with purity and integrity, anyway.

The good news is, the All-Star game is an exhibition that bears only the most fleeting resemblance to real hockey and has absolutely no impact on anything, unless a player is unfortunate enough to be injured during the skills competition or actual game. (Former Penguins winger Jaromir Jagr and New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro come immediately to mind.)

Fact is, the thinking here always has been that if the NHL really wanted to reward its top performers, it would select the All-Star teams and then give those players a weekend off, while making everyone else in the league work. Believe it or not, that idea never has gained any real traction.

Q: In Wednesday night's Flyers-Lightning game, Scott Hartnell of Philadelphia threw a glove at Malone on a breakaway. What would the penalty be, if any, if an object was thrown by a fan and impeded Malone by hitting him or the puck?

George Gregg, Lancaster

MOLINARI: Per Rule 53.6, Malone would have been awarded a penalty shot.