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The economic exodus continues in Pittsburgh, even while the franchise savior carries on. Years after everyone thought Mario Lemieux was gone for good, he is back and apparently healthier than ever ... or at least better than he was last season.
Mario might be back, but his back is just as famous as his hands. Lemieux was limited to 6 goals in 24 games, and none of them were of the playoff variety. For the Penguins to get back into the postseason mix, they somehow have to find a way to make up for the losses of top defenseman Darius Kasparaitis (trading deadline deal to Colorado) and premier checking center Robert Lang (free agency). Naturally, there was no money to do this the easy way over the summer.
There also isn't a chance the Penguins can make the playoffs unless Lemieux stays healthy all year and somebody suddenly blossoms into a No. 1 (or 2 or 3) defender.
Still shellshocked?: Johan Hedberg made a case last season as one of the steadiest angle goalies in the game. He's also one of the most beaten up. In 66 games, Hedberg had 1,851 shots fired at him, the fifth highest total in the league. Not good when your depleted team is trying to install a slow-down system. Can coach Rick Kehoe find a way to protect Hedberg better when Janne Laukkanen is his best defenseman?
Money matters: Lemieux's newfound public relations skills and business acumen may have kept the Penguins in Pittsburgh, but the viability of this club will be in question until the town's movers and shakers find a way to finance a new arena -- and the NHL wins a struggle for a hard salary cap.
Injury history: Lemieux is only part of the story. At various times last season, Alex Kovalev, Lang, Laukkanen and Wayne Primeau were either missing for long spells or knocked out for the seasonal count. Then there was Martin Straka, who played just 13 games due to a broken tibia. Put it all together and it added up to 198 goals, low for any team and unthinkable in Pittsburgh. It also says that with a little injury luck, the Penguins still have enough gifted wizards to outscore teams on many a given night. But if it's luck you seek, take another look at Straka -- he was working out in his native Czech Republic one day this offseason when a 370-pound weight training machine toppled onto him, cracking a vertabrea. Straka is now questionable for the start of the regular season. Any other questions?
Preseason schedule
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DATE
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OPPONENT
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TIME (ET)
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Fri., Sept. 20
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vs. New Jersey at Albany, N.Y. (Pepsi Arena)
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7 p.m.
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Sat., Sept. 21
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at Washington
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7 p.m.
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Sun., Sept. 22
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vs. New Jersey at Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
(First Union Arena)
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5 p.m.
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Sat., Sept. 28
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Columbus
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7:30 p.m.
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Sun., Sept. 29
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at Columbus
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5 p.m.
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Tue., Oct. 1
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Boston
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7:30 p.m.
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Wed., Oct. 2
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vs. Washington at Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
(First Union Arena)
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7 p.m.
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