James_Taipei: Do you think the Penguins could possibly make an offer to Hossa again this offseason? I know he said he was looking for a long term deal but if the Penguins win the Cup maybe he would take the opportunity to join this young team.

Shelly Anderson: The Penguins made Marian Hossa a long-term offer -- a couple versions, actually -- last summer, so it's possible they will still have the cap room to try again this summer if they don't re-sign players such as Petr Sykora, Miroslav Satan and/or Ruslan Fedotenko. That's if general manager Ray Shero still wants Hossa over other players. Let's see what happens in the likely Stanley Cup final matchup between the Penguins and Hossa's Detroit Red Wings first.

SDWC: Should we expect to see seven defensemen dressed again tonight?

Shelly Anderson: As always -- if not more, considering it's the playoffs -- coach Dan Bylsma is noncommittal about his lineup. It was hard to tell in the morning skate which way he is leaning, but it's possible we'll see a 12th forward, who would probably be winger Pascal Dupuis, and six defenseman now that Sergei Gonchar seems to be holding his own with the knee injury. Bylsma has said he's not the superstitious type who would be afraid to change things even if the team is winning.

Hines_is_better_than_Cam: Shell, is Bill Cowher expected to make an appearance at the game tonight?

Shelly Anderson: Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher is expected to be at the game and crank the hurricane siren before the opening faceoff.

Hines_is_better_than_Cam: Heyyy Shelly!! Who do you have winning the Conn Smythe right now?

Shelly Anderson: That's an awfully hypothetical question since the playoff MVP pretty much has to come from the Stanley Cup champion team. If the Penguins go on to win the Cup with similar production in games to what they have been getting, it's a toss-up between centers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

ajt123: Did you bring your broom to Carolina?

Shelly Anderson: Well, I've been called worse than a witch before, but I don't travel with a broom, even when a team has a great chance to win in four. I'll leave that sort of thing to the fans.

Morgantown1234: Sorry if there is an obvious answer to this question, but will the outdoor viewing of the game still be going on tonight or will it be cancelled because of the weather?

Shelly Anderson: As far as I know, the big screen outside Gate 3 will be showing all games this round. Not being in Pittsburgh, I don't know what the weather there is doing. There have been people there watching games in the rain before. Lightning might be another matter if that's a possibility.

JoeBob: What do the Penguins plan to do with Petr Sykora in the offseason? I thought he would be a sure-thing to be resigned, but his recent benching makes it quite uncertain now.

Shelly Anderson: That's a good question. Whether winger Petr Sykora's benching is because of a slump, a hidden shoulder injury or some combination of the two, sitting out surely is difficult for him. We'll see what happens as the playoffs continue -- you never know; he might get into the lineup and become a triple-overtime hero again -- but there could be a reluctance on either side in the offseason in terms of him re-signing. He is eligible to become a free agent July 1.

shockjock: Shelly, What is management's thoughts on Janne Pesenon? Any ideas if there are discussions to bring him back next season?

Shelly Anderson: General manager Ray Shero has said he would like to have Finnish winger Janne Pesonen back next season. He signed a one-year free-agent contract but played mostly in Wilkes-Barre and didn't get much of a chance to show anything when he was with the Penguins. He had a strong season in the American Hockey League, and the Penguins apparently thought it would take that long for the former Finnish Elite League star to really adjust to the North American style. The biggest question might be whether Pesonen wants to re-sign, or whether other teams are interested.

Mean_Joe: Geno was pretty beat up this time last year. Aside from him having gained more experience, what has changed?

Shelly Anderson: It seems as if Evgeni Malkin has learned to pace himself better through the regular season and playoffs. He is usually one of the first players off the ice after practices and morning skates. He also seems to be more comfortable in general, less mentally fatigued. He says he feels good, and his playoffs-leading 28 points seem to back him up.

shockjock: Shelly, if the Pens do let some of the key guys go this offseason like Sykora, Fedetenko, Satan, Scuderi, and the backup goalie. Is there anyone in WBS that we could see make the jump to Pittsburgh next year?

Shelly Anderson: Sure, there are at least a few players. John Curry is probably ready to compete for the backup goaltending spot. Defensemen Alex Goligoski and Ben Lovejoy are on the brink. The Penguins seem pretty happy with the development of forwards such as Luca Caputi and Dustin Jeffrey. Perhaps Janne Pesonen will be back and will be given a better shot. Other youngsters, including big winger Eric Tangradi, might not be ready out of training camp but could get a sniff.

Pickman: If the Pens win tonight, do you expect it to be to the Pens advantage to have rest (assuming the Wings/ Blackhawks series drags out) or to immediately jump on a Red Wings team (assuming they win tomorrow) that is playing without several injured players who may return to play the Pens if that series drags out?

Shelly Anderson: The players seem ambivalent, and I trust their judgment. They see the benefits either way -- of keeping the momentum going by starting the final quickly, or of having some days off to rest. Detroit has injuries to a few key players, but it's unclear whether their return can be measured in a matter of the few extra days there might be between series if Chicago staves off elimination for a game or two.

shockjock: Shelly, I saw on ESPN.com the other day that the NHL might drop the salary cap 2.5 million for next season. What kind of impact could that have on the Pens next season?

Shelly Anderson: The big drop is expected to come not next season but for 2010-11. All teams are bracing for that. The cap has gone up steadily since it was introduced after the 2004-05 lockout. The Penguins do have two large contracts kicking in next season -- Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, who are finishing out their rookie deals. A drop of a couple million certainly would have an impact, but it's something general manager Ray Shero could address in the way he restructures the roster during free agency.

ajt123: Are the fans in Carolina just as noisy as us here in the Burgh?

Shelly Anderson: I would have to say before Game 3 and through most of the first period, the fans at RBC Center were as loud as they are in any NHL arena, probably a little louder than at Mellon Arena. I don't know if it has something to do with acoustics or the way they scream from practice at college football games or what, but it is very loud. Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said it's even louder for those at ice level. During an earlier playoff game, he and a referee could not hear each other face-to-face and he has had to resort to tapping the next guys up rather than calling to them verbally. Of course, things got fairly quiet as the Penguins began to roll in Game 3.

Shelly Anderson: Thanks, everyone. Looks good for another chat next week, returning to Monday.