James_Taiwan: Is tonight's Pens-Caps game likely to come down to one lucky bounce more than skill? The teams are so evenly matched it may be another overtime game tonight.

Jerry Micco: Lucky bounces, just like laser-like goals, are part of the game and certainly, the former could decide this matchup. I've never seen a matchup where the teams are so evenly matched. Skill player for skill player, the winner of this series will win it by a whisker. I said before it started, Penguins in 7. We'll see if I have a clue of what I'm talking about.

James_Taiwan: Do you think that Sanchez will have the dubious job of representing the Pirates in the All-Star game?

Jerry Micco: That's hard to say right now because the All-Star game is in July and a lot can happen between now and then. But he's off to a good start, so he might be the guy who gets the nod.

James_Taiwan: Since Steve Pearce is not doing that well in Triple A, who do you see starting at first after LaRoche is traded? Or if he does not getting traded who will start next year?

Jerry Micco: If he's not traded, he'll start at first next year. This is the problem with folks who want the Pirates to trade people. You have to make sure you've got someone to take their place if you unload them. Steve Pearce, who isn't exactly lighting up AAA ball, is the only likely replacement. I'm sure you can throw some guys in there to play for half a season, but you have to have a long-term plan at an important power position. For my money, as poorly as he plays sometimes, LaRoche is still the best player there.

James_Taiwan: Do you see any team besides a desperate team like Washington, Pittsburgh, or Kansas City signing Adam LaRoche this offseason?

Jerry Micco: Again, he's been a guy who has averaged 23 homers and 86 RBI here. He's on pace, at least he was until he swooned (again) this month, to hit 30 HRs and knock in around 85 runs. This on a team that is not a hitting juggernaut, and on a team that lost a No. 4 hitter who looked to be really ready for a breakout year. Having LaRoche behind Doumit lets Doumit see some pitches.

theWellHungarian: Hi Jerry-- What are your thoughts on Jack Wilson batting ... Just kiddin', it's Game 7 Tonight! I'm fired up! Who do you like? I think the Pens outplayed the Caps on Monday and think that will carry-over & I think this Varlamov is gonna crack ... Thoughts?

Jerry Micco: I'll stick with my prediction: Pens in 7. They've all been nail-biters. I expect the same tonight. It'll be interesting to see if they play the wide-open style they have every game this series or will they be like 2 heavyweights testing each other out a bit at a time.

ajt123: Gut feeling, does Gonchar play and does it make a difference either way?

Jerry Micco: He does not, and for my money, not all that much of a difference. He's a bit better than Goligoski on the power play and in a 5-on-5 situation, but using Boucher and Goligoski together nearly make up for Gonch. They are better if he plays and is healthy, but not if he's at 70 percent.

ajt123: What do you think of Z.Duke's prediction? 15-20 game win streak seems kind of optimistic ... Guess its better than being pessimistic at this point?!?

Jerry Micco: Better than saying they'll go on another slide. I don't think they can do 15 or 20, but 3 or 4 would be nice for a change, would it not?

ajt123: Pens win tonight?

Jerry Micco: Pens win 4-3 in OT.

ajt123: Why WOULDNT the Pirates want to try to resign LaRoche, Sanchez, and Wilson? There are no competent replacements it would seem at this point, and Wilson is apparently willing to accept a hometown discount? Seems odd as all of them are not THAT old either ...

Jerry Micco: My point exactly. They may offer them 2-year deals each, but why not keep those guys around? How much can you expect in return if you trade them? Prospects aren't what they are cracked up to be, unless you can get top prospects. An no one trades their best guys. No one.

Ovie_the_Clown: Will Sarge play tonight or not?

Jerry Micco: Asked and answered. I don't think he does, though he did skate this morning.

Homey: What do you notice about readership of reports after a loss by the home team, compared to after a win by the home team? Personally, I don't usually read anything after a loss, but maybe some people are the opposite.

Jerry Micco: I don't think our circulation dips. Let me explain that: Our paid circulation is a certain number no matter what. I know a big victory can boost single-copy sales (what you get at the convenience store or in the newspaper box downtown) in a big way. That happened in an enormous way when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. And for a newspaper, that's gold.

praveen: Jerry, can you remember a more inexplicable blunder by a Pens defenseman in a crucial playoff game than what Gill did in interfering with Fleury just because he couldn't keep up with his guy? And that too, 30 secs after he failed to move Laich off of Fleury on the 3rd goal despite having plenty of time to do so.

Jerry Micco: Looked really bad. I think Gill had his worst game in Game 6. Otherwise, he's been very solid this playoff season. He'd have done better to let Fleury just try to get over on his own. He probably would have done so as quickly as he moves side-to-side.

Homey: Who's doing a better job right now - Shero or Colbert?

Jerry Micco: Tough call, because in hockey you sometimes have to add 5 or 6 players every season, often at the trade deadline, to make your run. In the NFL, you have to draft really well and be selective with free agents. Both are very good at what they do, but Colbert gets the edge here because he's got 2 SB rings.

ajt123: My prediction : Pens 5 Caps 3..Gonchar play and scores a PP goal ... What's your prediction?

Jerry Micco: I say 4-3 Pens and Gonchar does not play.

leess: Does using only 11 forwards mess up the continuity on the 4 lines? The Pens are constantly having to double-shift.

Jerry Micco: Some guys they want to double-shift, like Crosby. It shakes lines up a bit, too, but with Gonchar out, you need 7 defensemen.

praveen: The Pirates need to spend a lot more money. But not on players. They need to spend a lot of money making their scouting staff an elite one, even if that means overpaying for top scouts from other teams.

Jerry Micco: They have started to address scouting, much more under Neal Huntington, than they have before. And the opening of the facility in the Dominican is a huge help. And they have to draft well. Pedro Alvarez is a good start. He'll be a good hitter one day, probably never a great glove man, but he'll be a nice power hitter. And you need those guys. And while you are drafting high, you need to get some guys who 2-3 years later are your stars. You have to develop guys, too. Free agency is only one way to build, and only elite teams can afford it.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: Is there anything in sports better than an NHL game 7?

Jerry Micco: Wow, tough call. They are usually wonderful events to cover and to watch. The Final 4, which is guess is 2 games, is pretty fun. I think the AFC and NFC title games sometimes outstrip the SB for being great games, but certainly, the last 2 SBs have been great games. And I'm an old school person for sports: I just love the Kentucky Derby for a great event.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: Do you think this series can finally put the NHL on the map?

Jerry Micco: That's going to take a bit of doing. It'll certainly help, but it's competition from the NFL, NCAA, NBA, golf, NASCAR, the NHL has a lot of heavy lifting to do.

praveen: Don't you think Gonchar's best contribution right now would be to mentor the young defensemen in the locker room right now? What Pens need help on is moving opposing forwards away from Fleury's crease.

Jerry Micco: I agree. Again, if Gonch is healthy, and by that I mean 85-90 percent, then play him. But after seeing that hit, I don't think he's there. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Homey: If Gonchar plays tonight, will the Pens still use a 7th defenseman as cover, or will Dupuis get back into the lineup?

Jerry Micco: If Gonchar plays, I'd suit up Boucher as a backup, or just play Gonch on power plays. But LeTang may have to rush the puck up ice.

Chooch79: I'm taking my 8-year-old (and 10 of his friends) to the Pirate game for his birthday on Friday. Any suggestions on how I can give them some hope for the future?

Jerry Micco: Tell them to enjoy the game. Just enjoy the game. Baseball's a wonderful sport to spend a couple hours or so watching. My 15-year-old is a big Pirates fan because we started going to games when we moved here. The Pirates didn't always win, but he liked the whole scene.

praveen: CNNSI's worst owner rankings: Snyder worse than Mike Brown? I don't think so. Snyder is bad, but at least he doesn't use his team as a personal treasury. As far as Nutting not being in the worst 5 - let's just say baseball's worst 5 is too short a list and more of an indication of many baseball owners.

Jerry Micco: Snyder spends a lot of money and has nothing to show for it. Brown spends no money and has nothing to show for it. I don't know, I'd rather fail for less money than more. As for Bob Nutting, the ownership is limited as far as money. They should not throw good money after bad. I'd rather see them pay Pedro Alvarez a higher-than-normal bonus, or a competitive bonus, than throw good money after bad. Alvarez is an investment. McLouth is an investment. Spend the money where it counts.

Ovie_the_Clown: Can Fleury locate the 3 inch piece of vulcanized rubber that seems to have eluded him most of the series? He's the key tonight.

Jerry Micco: He must play tremendous hockey for them to win. He's played OK, but he's not played at the level he's capable of playing. If you want to know the difference between the 2 teams, it's Fleury. He's been to the Cup finals and he knows what it takes. The Pens need to see that tonight.

bahoti: Type here Can anyone explain to me why the NHL has ads for all the armed forces but does not show the national anthem being sung at the games

Jerry Micco: The armed forces pay for that time. Not many TV networks show the anthem. Some local FSN type stations will, at times. In the NFL , the anthem is sung about 10 minutes before kickoff.

praveen: Jerry, what did you think of Versus not broadcasting the marquee Anaheim-Detroit network because of Indy car racing trials. Seems like Versus doesn't treat NHL with the reverence they promised. And Versus couldn't do show the end of the NJ-Carolina game7 because there was no agreement with the local carrier to show it live for more than 2 minutes. NHL has work to do in this area.

Jerry Micco: Much work, but they have gotten a bit of a bump from the Versus deal. And frankly, auto racing probably got them a bigger rating point than Anaheim-Detroit. Versus doesn't show day games, do they? I guess because I'm home at night I just watch the games that are night games. Day games are either NBC or local affiliates, and I believe after this round, NBC has the weekend day games and Versus all the night contests. Until the Stanley Cup finals, at least.

Chooch79: Any plans for the PG to cover the upcoming MMA event in Pittsburgh?

Jerry Micco: I've not had any correspondence from that group, so right now, we're not.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: The NHL suspended one of the Flyers because he hit Talbot with his stick on a faceoff, but Kunitz, Ovechkin and that guy on the Hurricanes who threw the sucker punch all get by without missing any action. What is going on here?

Jerry Micco: A poor job by the league, in my opinion, of being consistent on what constitutes a suspension and what doesn't.

ajt123: Do I scalp my tickets for the Pens game tonight, save myself from the abuse from the Caps fans, and buy a 20 pack Pirates plan with the proceeds?

Jerry Micco: If you've got tickets for a Game 7, you use them. You may be the happiest guy in the Verizon Center before it's over.

praveen: Scuderi has really elevated his game, hasn't he? Do you think he may be our best defenseman defensively? I think Orpik is just having a very average series.

Jerry Micco: I can remember a year or 2 ago, people here were ready to ship Scuderi to whatever hockey outpost we could find. My, how times have changed. Scuderi got experience and practiced hard and what you have is a very good all-around defenseman. Orpik is having a better-than-average series, I think, but all around, Scuderi is having a better one. If only his point shot hadn't clanked the crossbar in Game 6. Ugh.

Ovie_the_Clown: The Captain will not let the Pens lose. Book it. 3-1 with an empty netter from 87.

Jerry Micco: A 2-goal game would be rare in this series, Ovie.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: When will Roger Clemens and Brett Favre go away? Enough is enough.

Jerry Micco: Not soon enough, I'm afraid. I don't know why Clemens felt compelled to go on a national talk show to say all the stuff he's been saying for a year now. I know he's trying to knock down the book, but there was nothing different there. As for Favre, sounds like he walked away from the Vikes but the owner won't let him do so quietly.

praveen: Reading the Pirates blog, it just astounds me how protective many fans are still of this franchise. They resent the naysayers posts (I am guilty of this). I had no idea there were so many Pirates fans still very optimistic.

Jerry Micco: Amazing group of fans, actually. And naysayers are just as welcomed in our chats, blogs and forums as fans. We are an equal-opportunity newspaper and Web site. No Kool-Aid drinkers here. The reason I'd love to see the Bucs win and be competitive is that fan base is loyal and would turn out in big numbers. Be nice to reward them for years of loyalty in the face of a terrible record.

BIG_AL: Most nights they do show the anthem ...

Jerry Micco: Do they? I thought they did, but I sometimes miss the first few minutes getting home from work for a 7 p.m. start.

praveen: Crosby's goal scoring has been a pleasant surprise. I think he has shown now that he can do it all. He may not have Ovechkin's fearsome shot, but who knows. With time ...

Jerry Micco: I still don't think Sid's forte will be as a big goal scorer. Doesn't mean he won't get his 30 every year, but with that, there will be 80 or 90 assists. That's what Sid does so well. But I believe you may have a point in that Crosby now knows where he can score from. He doesn't have Geno's laser shots, but around the net, there is no one on the team who is better.

MeanJoe: How many shots do the Pens need to win? Averaging over 40 per game this series and being in a game 7 doesn't say much for the quality of shots taken. V-man is ok, but not great. I don't buy that every SOG is a good shot line either. What's up with the Pen's shooting?

Jerry Micco: I think with Varlamov, throwing shots at him leads to better things. He gives up rebounds and is not a good glove man. He also, like Fleury, is weak on high shots. I think 40 shots is a good barometer. The more you make the kid work, the more chances you have of a tip in, a rebound or a funny bounce. Make him think and make him work, I say.

praveen: Lets be balanced. Ulf didn't get suspended for the Cam Neely hit. Nor did Kunitz for the goalie head shot.

Jerry Micco: First thing I thought of when I saw Gonchar get kneed was Samuelsson-Neely. No one barked around here about that, but that might have been more blatant. And it cost the Bruins dearly.

Ovie_the_Clown: Will Vladimir Malkin be in the house tonight? He's high comedy at these games.

Jerry Micco: I would guess the players get some tickets, so the Malkins should be in attendance. It's been great watching his parents, especially his dad, get so into all this. Really nice.

Homey: I haven't heard any updates on Pitt hoops recruiting lately. I'm assuming we have another scholarship available, since we just missed out on a guy about a month ago. Will Pitt sign another player for 2009 in the next month?

Jerry Micco: Ray Fittipaldo is taking some time off, but is back next week. We'll be looking into that as recruiting progresses.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: I was glad to see Bob Smizik point out that the Sanchez has that ABs clause in his contract. It's good to see that the guy who is one of the leaders in extra base hits is not sitting out two games a week so that the owner can pocket more dollars.

Jerry Micco: Frank Coonelly emphatically denied that assertion in today's Post-Gazette.

praveen: Maybe Kunitz will chip in with a goal. He is the only regular top forward overdue for a goal.

Jerry Micco: Long overdue and the Pens could use one from him. Seeing Staal or Kennedy get on the board again wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

praveen: Pens coming back from 1-3 deficits in series encouraging against Washington. But Pens also have discouraging 3-2 leads blown when losing Game 6(OK, maybe just twice). Both times, Game 7 ended with a weak goal given by our goalie. I hope no repeat of that this time. If we get beat, I hope it's a well deserved goal.

Jerry Micco: You always want to lose on a memorable shot, not a 60-footer from the blue line that your goalie whiffs on. But as time passes by, the team that scores on that shot will tell you it was a rocket that the goalie had no chance to stop. Time clarifies in our own minds what we see. Let's hope the game isn't decided that way, but oftentimes, we know they are.

ajt123: I know the Pirates typically dont draw a lot of fans this time of year, but its getting to the point where the announced crowds of roughly 10k, don't even appear to be that. As a player, its gotta be tough at times to play in front of that ...

Jerry Micco: Certainly it's tough. The Pirates had some good early crowds as the weather was good in April. May weather has been up and down, but we're supposedly in for a pretty nice week. And the bigger promotions start to kick in soon. Plus, the team has never drawn until school is out. It's still a fairly cheap night out, so it's a good place to take the kids.

Jay: I haven't been able to watch ANY baseball since the 1992 NLCS...not because they lost that game, but because of what the game did to the next 17 years of the Buccos!

Jerry Micco: Wow, no baseball at all? None? No World Series, no playoffs, no Saturday afternoon games? Holy cow, Frankie Cabrera really did a number on your baseball psyche.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: Does Mike Tomlin work anymore? He's at every Pens game and was sitting behind home plate last night?

Jerry Micco: Like everyone, he deserves a little time away from the job. And I think coming off a Super Bowl win, it's pretty tough to question his work ethic. I think it's great the teams here support each other by attending games.

praveen: Is this the most visibly intense you have seen Mario in the owner's box. He seems to be really into these games.

Jerry Micco: How can you tell? Mario always seems so even to me, but I'm sure he's churning inside. He probably wants to get out there and play, knowing how he thinks.

Crybaby_Ted_Leonsis: Will the PG web site eventually add user comments to columns?

Jerry Micco: We do that for bloggers, of course, and we are looking into do it for columnists and stories, too.

praveen: Boston must be loving that Jason Bay trade more and more each day. One question for the Mannys of the world. Let us assume they are really truthful for the sake of argument. Why don't these athletes spend 50K ona personal pharmacy advisor while they earn 20M plus?

Jerry Micco: The trade of Bay to Boston was a godsend for Bay. Hitting where he does in that lineup, with guys getting on ahead of him and good sticks behind him, that only made him better. And he's in his prime. The classic example of why you really can't get immediate impact when you get prospects. Brandon Moss, a cornerstone of that trade, finally hit a homer last night. If in a couple years he becomes a 20-80 guy, maybe you say you got something for him. But that's a huge "if."

Jay: I might have watched 3-4 playoffs/World Series games, total. I just about worshipped Willie Stargell, and then Van Slyke when I was a kid. It hurts too much to watch other teams!

Jerry Micco: I'm not much for watching any baseball game unless it's the Pirates, but the playoffs and Series, if you're a fan of the game, you have to watch. Doesn't mean I like the teams I see playing, knowing that by and large, they are full of free agents or at least key free agents at key spots. But it's still pretty good stuff, especially in the fall.

Ovie_the_Clown: Will Empty Netters be live at the Verizon Center? Best blog out there.

Jerry Micco: He wil be live tonight. I'm glad you enjoy the blog.

Jay: If Fleury can "stay in position" I think he doesn't let in soft goals and then they win tonight. This one goal difference we've been seeing wouldn't be so, if Fleury had just stayed solid in the crease!

Jerry Micco: I agree, Jay. To me, they are pretty even all around. The Pens have a better D, and Varlamov has outplayed Fleury this series. But, Fleury has shown he can be better, while Varlamov has been as good as I think he can be against the Penguins. Fleury is the real difference maker.

praveen: If Luongo can have a meltdown against Chicago's barrage, maybe the V-Man will cave in just one more time. We can hope, can we.

Jerry Micco: I was surprised to see Luongo fold like he did. I thought Vancouver had a chance to make the conference final because of Roberto Luongo. But Chicago, which reminds me a lot of the Penguins, just beat him into submission. And they are scary good. I don't know if they can beat the Wings, but if they draw Anaheim, I think they can make the finals.

praveen: I hope those Yanni fans had a rainout "inside" the igloo. I can't believe his concert messed up the Pens schedule.

Jerry Micco: Hey, you make money how you can make money. The Pens are the primary tenants at the arena, not the only one. Those concerts make a ton of money for the city. And it would not be the first time there was that type of scheduling because of arena availability. Look at it this way: In the new arena, which will operate 365 days a year, the Pens could have as many as, say, 57 or 58 playing dates. That leaves a lot of openings to fill. For concerts, basketball, shows, etc. You have to pay that arena off by making sure it's in use as much as it can be.

Jerry Micco: Well folks, I need to run. Thanks for showing up in such great numbers and for asking great questions. Enjoy game 7 tonight, and who knows, maybe some early round conference final games before we meet again next Wednesday at noon.