The comeback story of Mario Lemieux has been among the most chronicled in all of sports, but there is also a story within that story -- and that is the comeback story of Jaromir Jagr.
Since Lemieux returned to the ice on December 27, the team owner and its star have been the best duo in the NHL.
"He gives me a lot of confidence," said Jagr. "The most important thing is the defense, or the players I play against. They cannot concentrate just on me; they have to concentrate on Mario. So, I get more free time and more room to do some things."
More time to do things has translated into a rebirth of sorts for Jagr, who has quickly climbed the NHL scoring ladder and now has a chance to win his fourth consecutive scoring title. Well, that is unless Lemieux makes some sort of absurd scoring rush, which is not out of the realm of possibility. Then again, the Lemieux/Jagr combination is structured so that when one gets a point, the other also accumulates a point.
Watching Jagr now, playing on a line with Lemieux, it's difficult to imagine that he was struggling so mightily at the start of the season, when in the opinion of those watching, Jagr was a mess.
"I wouldn't say I really struggled," said Jagr. "But everybody expected me to win the scoring title automatically, (to) be in first place right away from the start of the season. If you look at my past years, I never had a good start because I don't do much during the summer. I'm trying to get rested ... I try to play my best hockey after Christmas."
Maybe so, but the Christmas present Jagr wanted from the Penguins this season was a ticket out of Pittsburgh. At this point, he can dismiss the early-season slump, but back in November he was so distraught he asked general manager Craig and Lemieux for a trade.
"I didn't know what to do," said Jagr. "I wasn't the player I wanted to be. I wasn't the player who could help the Penguins. I came to Craig and I told him, and I told Mario, that I felt like the best thing for us to do right now is to trade me. I told them to get some good players for me because I didn't think I could get better at that point."
This was just before the Lemieux comeback was made public. Patrick told Jagr to calm down, and also told him he might want to talk to Lemieux.
"Craig said Mario was in Florida for a vacation and when he comes back, he wanted to talk to me. That's when Mario told me he was coming back to play."
Lemieux told Jagr that there was no way he was going to be traded. But what he did not tell him was that he was deeply concerned about Jagr's game -- and his mental approach to the games.
"I was very concerned obviously," said Lemieux. It wasn't just a slump -- it was the way he was acting. He was very down on himself and the team and he didn't have any confidence in his game, especially with the players that he (had) on his line.
"His confidence wasn't there; he wasn't skating like he used to. That was his biggest mistake, not being able to skate, especially in the neutral zone and pick up speed. When I came back we talked a little bit, and I told him that he has to start skating, generate some speed, especially in the neutral zone for him to have a chance to beat guys one-on-one, that's how you beat guys."
Between them, the two have managed to beat just about everybody. Although they did not play together on a line regularly during Lemieux's first era in Pittsburgh, they did play on the same line at times during Lemieux final year before his "retirement." Now, they have a chance to become among the best combinations in NHL history.
"We played, my last year, with Ronny Francis," said Lemieux. "I played left wing and Jagr played right wing and he was a big plus back then, too. We know exactly what we're going do when we have the puck, especially on two-on-two situations, and two-on-ones. He's been a big plus for me.
"We are able to think ahead, even before we get the puck. That's been the chemistry that we have. Jaromir and I are able to go on the ice and always think a step ahead."
Since his arrival in 1990, Jagr figures the best one-two combinations have been the likes of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, Eric Lindros and John LeClair, and the line combination of Lemieux, with Mark Recchi, Rick Tocchet/Kevin Stevens a few years ago.
Lemieux, who goes back further in NHL history, quickly proclaims the combination of Wayne Gretzky with Jari Kurri as the best he's ever seen. "The other ones," said Lemieux, "Would be like (Mike) Bossy and (Bryan) Trottier in the early 80's. They were tremendous."
And the chances of Lemieux/Jagr ranking among the best ever?
"Well, I think we have a chance," said Lemieux. "Obviously Jaromir's got a lot of talent, and he's been at a top level for a while now. It's just a matter of both of us wanting to be two of the best to ever play the game, and that takes a lot of hard work. I think we have the potential to go on the ice and make some great plays and maybe a few years from now to be recognized as two of the best to play the game."
A few years from now? The way things are going, the only argument among many at the end of this season will be who is the best player in the world, Lemieux or Jagr?
In fact, when Lemieux came back he threw a good natured challenge at Jagr, stating that he wanted the title back as the best in the world. At this point, he doesn't think he has achieved that goal, but others would disagree. "I'm still only 75-80 percent to where I should be," said Lemieux. "Maybe once I get up to 100 percent, maybe I'll have a chance to regain the title, but right now, he's the best player in the world, and he's been (that) for the last three years."
But Jagr is not buying Lemieux's argument. "You cannot compare." said Jagr. "You just cannot compare. A guy who didn't play for three and a half years and he comes back and plays like that. It's just amazing."
Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.
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