Tomorrow could bring the end of an era. Assuming the Rangers and Penguins don't meet in the playoffs, Jaromir Jagr could play his last game in Mellon Arena.
That's a pretty sobering thought to us.
According to John Dellapina of the New York Daily News, Jagr will meet with the general manager of Avangard-Omsk, a team in the Russian Super League. According to the team's Web site, the team's primary goal on its trip to New York is to possibly lure Jagr back to Omsk where he played during the 2004-05 lockout. Jagr has repeatedly talked in kind fashion about his time in the Siberian city.
When you consider Jagr is due to become a free agent after this season and weigh in his fickle nature, deciding to leave the NHL and finish out his playing days in Siberia wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Jagr.
This was a player who dominated the sport and was the Penguins' franchise for at five years. While he may not have been a willing party, he aptly filled Mario Lemieux's skates after his first retirement.
For the time being, he is still the second-best player in the history of this franchise. Only Lemieux's star shines brighter than his. There probably will be a day when Sidney Crosby or even Evgeni Malkin have more impressive resumes than Jagr, but for the time being, Jagr is still No. 2 in our book.
So if he's introduced as a starter tomorrow, he shouldn't be booed. Let whatever bitterness you might have towards his exit in 2001 go. It was seven years ago.
Show your class. You're Penguins fans. Not Flyers fans. Applaud him and thank him for what he was able to offer us during his time as Penguin.
(This was Jagr's last goal as a Penguin.)
THE PENGUINS-FLYERS RIVALRY. NOTHING NEW
Normally when we find a gems like this, we try to stow them away in our bookmarks until the Penguins are play the team in the video. That way we can use it in our game previews as the "Best (TEAM) YouTube Video We Could Find." But we've learned the hard way too many times, if you sit on something, some else will eventually find it and post it before you.
So despite the fact that the Penguins have two games against the Flyers later next week, we're jumping the gun and posting this early.
It's highlights between the Penguins and Flyers from Oct. 29, 1981:
Apparently the Penguins were jealous of the Flyers' pants.
This makes that fight-fest the Penguins had with the Flyers back on Dec. 11 this season seem like a Miroslav Satan-Petr Sykora fight.
EMPTY NETTER ASSISTS
Penguins
-Marc-Andre Fleury is kind of key to the Penguins' success.
-Playoff tickets went fast.
-The Penguins say Marian Hossa has one of those always vaguely-worded "upper-body injuries." They claim he is fine though.
-The television ratings for Thursday's game were the second highest in team history for a regular-season game.
-Chris Minard was demoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
-The Penguins have more players on the payroll than you think.
-Here's Ryan Malone's check on Devils forward Jamie Langenbrunner from earlier this week:
-Penguins general manager Ray Shero had a teleconference. Kukla's Korner has the transcript.
-Extras are needed to play hockey fans in that movie they were shooting at Mellon Arena Tuesday.
-Shootout goals by Minard, Tim Brent and Kurtis McLean gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 5-4 win against Hamilton.
-On a night they gave away a "bobble-fist" doll, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goon Dennis Bonvie scored a goal.
-We wish we had money. If we did, we'd pay EN contributor Eric Politowski for all the countless clips he rounds up for us. He recorded highlights from last night's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton game:
-Aaron Clarke scored the Wheeling Nailers' only goal in a 3-1 loss to Johnstown.
Atlantic Division
-Brian Gionta, Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner scored shootout goals and gave the Devils a 5-4 win against the Flyers.
-Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador could miss the rest of the regular season due to a foot injury. New Jersey acquired Salvador from St. Louis at the trade deadline.
Northeast Division
-From the "thanks for nothing department" The Sabres squandered a third-period 3-1 lead and lost to the Canadiens, 4-3 in overtime. The win moved Montreal into first place ahead of the Penguins in the Eastern Conference. Christopher Higgins scored the winning goal.
-Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller set a single-season record for the Sabres by appearing in his 73rd game of the season.
-Still recovering from a concussion, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has not yet been cleared for contract practices.
-Someone wrote a Christian rock song about Senators forward Mike Fisher.
-Canadiens forward and former Penguin Tom Kostopoulos has never played in the playoffs.
-Check out this goal Bruins forward Phil Kessel scored Thursday:
Southeast Division
-The Ruutus (Or is the plural form "Ruuti?") are hot. The night after Jarkko Ruutu scored three points for the Penguins, Tuomo Ruutu recorded two goals for the Hurricanes in a 7-1 rout of the Thrashers. Eric Staal had a goal and two assists.
-Things aren't so rosy between Panthers captain Olli Jokinen and head coach/general manager Jacques Martin.
-Capitals forward Sergei Fedorov pretty much tore apart his former team, the Blue Jackets.
-Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle had his neck cut by a skate Thursday. Thankfully, the cut wasn't serious.
-Tampa Bay forward Vincent Lecavalier is an all right guy.
Central Division
-Dan Ellis made a career-high 43 saves and lead the Predators to a 2-0 shutout win at Columbus. The win moved Nashville into eighth place in the Western Conference.
-Brad Boyes' scored two goals, including one in overtime, and gave the Blues a 4-3 win at Detroit. Boyes' second goal was his 40th of the season.
-Blue Jackets forward Jared Boll is dealing with a hip pointer.
-Red Wings forwards Mikael Samuelsson, Valterri Filppula and Tomas Holmstrom all have groin issues.
Northwest Division
-Niklas Backstrom made 28 saves for the Wild in a 4-0 shutout of the Canucks. Backstrom set a franchise record by recording his 31st win. The loss dropped the Canucks down to ninth place in the Western Conference.
-Shootout goals by Wojtek Wolski, Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk gave the Avalanche a 5-4 win against the Oilers. Sakic scored a goal with 5.9 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Colorado forward Peter Forsberg has six point in his last two games.
-Check out this save Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore made last night:
-Canucks forward Brendan Morrison doesn't want to leave Vancouver.
Pacific Division
-Three assists by Joe Pavelski helped the Sharks claim a 3-1 win at Anaheim. The win clinched the Sharks the Pacific Division title. It is the third division crown in the franchise's history. San Jose forward Jeremy Roenick scored his 1,200th career NHL point.
-Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher returned to the lineup after missing games due to a shoulder injury.
Smythe Division
-Apparently not willing to accept responsibility for his own actions, former Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi has drug former coach Marc Crawford into the Steve Moore mess. He claims Crawford should be partially responsible for any damages Moore is awarded in his lawsuit against Bertuzzi.
-Former NHL player Dave Gagner was arrested and charged with impaired driving. He is the father of Oilers rookie Sam Gagner.
-Don Cherry wasn't down with Jonathan Roy's fight.
-Penguins prospect Tim Crowder had an assist in Michigan State's 3-1 defeat of Colorado College in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament.
-USCHO has other scores from the first round.
First Published: March 29, 2008, 9:00 a.m.
