Yardbarker: Petr Sykora

THE LEGACY OF...MARIAN HOSSA

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:06:08 -0500

Welcome to the second installment of "The Legacy Of...", the series in which we will discuss the legacies of Pittsburgh athletes who moved on to greener pastures.

I'll give you the facts, including details on the player's acquisition, his Pittsburgh career with all of the highs and lows, and the time when he moves on. After that, you can vote on his legacy and discuss it at greater length in the comments section.

Today's subject, like most of the subjects in this series, is a magnet for controversy: former Penguin Marian Hossa.

ACQUISITION

The 6'1", 210-pound right winger was drafted 12th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 draft, playing eight seasons north of the border.

Hossa signed a three-year, $18 million contract on August 23, 2005, and was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers later that afternoon in exchange for talented yet troubled winger Dany Heatley.

During his third season with Atlanta, Hossa was dealt by the Thrashers to Pittsburgh (along with Pascal Dupuis) on February 26, 2008, in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, 2007 1st-round pick Angelo Esposito, and the Penguins' 2008 1st-round pick.

Hossa was clearly the centerpiece of the Penguins' trade deadline acquisitions and was part of one of the highest-profile trades in team history. Prior to his time in Pittsburgh, Hossa had notched 296 goals and 342 points in his NHL career with Ottawa and Atlanta.

Upon his arrival to the Burgh, this photo of Hossa and a female friend was dug up and run on blogs approximately 1.8 million times during the next four months. OK, I made that 1.8 million number up. It was closer to 1.9 million.

The trade was controversial on several levels. Some considered the price too high and the trade too risky, pointing to Hossa's unspectacular playoff performances in past years. Others disliked the loss of popular locker-room guys like Christensen and Armstrong, both fan favorites. Another faction of Penguin fans endorsed the roll-of-the-dice, which was a bold move by both the front office and the ownership. For Pittsburgh fans used to trade deadlines spent watching our teams give away top players, this was a welcome change.

CAREER IN PITTSBURGH

Hossa's time as a Penguin got off to an ominous start, as he sprained his MCL in his Penguins debut on February 28. He would not return until a March 16 grudge match with Philadelphia that turned out to be a rousing 7-1 Penguins victory. Hossa scored a goal and added an assist in his Mellon Arena debut, endearing himself to the home fans in the process.

Hossa ended the Penguin portion of his 2007-08 regular season with three goals and seven assists in 12 games, his high point output a three-assist performance in a 7-1 win against the Devils on March 22. It was on to the playoffs, where his presence would truly determine whether Ray Shero's trade was a good move or one the Penguins would regret.

In the playoff opener, a 4-0 victory against Ottawa, Hossa was held goal-less on seven shots. At the time, I said, "looked like there was a lid on the goal for him."

Following Game Two, a two-assist performance in another Penguins victory, Hossa was awarded FSN's Player of the Game honors for his goal & assist combo in a 4-1 Game Three win that put the Penguins within one win of an eventual sweep. Hossa ended the first round with one goal and four assists on 15 shots.

It was on to Round Two against Jaromir Jagr and the New York Rangers. After somewhat of a slow start in the first two games (both Penguin victories, by the way), Hossa way publicly called out by Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook with his "Hossa needs to start scoring" story. Cook suggested that despite their 6-0 record in the playoffs to that point, Coach Michel Therrien should have replaced Hossa with Petr Sykora on the top power play unit.

Hossa must've been a PG reader, as he answered Cook's challenge with a goal and assist performance in the next game, a 5-3 win over the Rangers. He added two goals, including an overtime, series-ender, in the clinching 3-2 victory; after two rounds and nine games, Hossa stood at five goals and five assists on 44 shots. More importantly, he aroused Casey Hampton enough to get out of his front-row seat.

Hossa got off to a quick start in the Conference Finals against Philadelphia, with a two-assist Game One and a power play goal in Game Two.

Hossa would notch two more goals in a 4-1 victory against the Flyers in Game Three, silencing 19,965 Flyers fans in the process. It was a beautiful sight.

Hossa would save his best statistical game of the playoffs for the May 18, 6-0 blowout that would send Philadelphia to their inevitable offseason golf matches. His one goal, three-assist game would give the alleged shrinking playoff performer nine goals and 10 assists through three rounds of the tournament. Suddenly, Hossa was called "the perfect wingman for Sidney Crosby," while simultaneously being praised by SI.

It was on to the Stanley Cup, hockey's biggest stage for one of its biggest free agents.

Like every other player on the Penguins' roster, Hossa was held scoreless in Game One and Game Two, as the Pens dug quite the formidable 0-2 hole. He found his way onto the ledger with two assists in an amazing Game Three 3-2 home victory in front of a red-clad Mark Madden. And he would score the only Pittsburgh goal in the 2-1 Game Four defeat.

With the Penguins just 35 seconds from elimination, Hossa set up Maxime Talbot for "The Goal I" in Game Five, the Instant Classic later won by Petr Sykora's "The Goal II" about ten hours later. And in the Game Six finale, despite scoring and assisting on the two Penguin goals, he will probably be remembered for the one that didn't go in with just seconds left.

With the season over, Hossa was free to pursue offers from all NHL teams. And with promises that he would play for a better team at a discounted rate, Pittsburghers kept up hope.

In June, Please Stay Hossa was introduced to the world, with the best of intentions. It was one of a number of grassroots attempts at getting the talented winger to reconsider a few more years in the land of Iron City and pierogis.

THE END IN PITTSBURGH

Once free agency was underway, Hossa floored even his agent by turning away a 7-year, $49 million dollar deal from the Penguins and a reported $70-$80 million deal from Edmonton in order to sign a one-year, $7.4 million deal with Detroit on July 2.

"I've said before, I want to have the best chance to win the Stanley Cup and I feel like Detroit is the team. It wasn't an easy decision. I knew I could have gotten more money somewhere else but I wanted the best chance to win the Stanley Cup and Detroit is the best destination," Hossa said in a conference call.

Let those be motivational words for Sidney Crosby and the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins, noted ESPN 1250's Jim Colony at the time.

POST-PITTSBURGH CAREER

Not surprisingly, reaction to Hossa's signing with Detroit was not well-received in Pittsburgh. A few days after the move, Kiss 96 FM had video of Hossa jersey burnings, for those Yinzers who made the ultimate leap of faith and purchased a pricey sweater of the pending UFA.

More recently, the PG's Bob Smizik said that "'Knuckleheads' can't wait to boo 'traitor' Hossa," in an article comparing Pittsburgh (unfavorably) to Philadelphia. Ouch.

YOUR TURN

A poll gauging your memories of Marian Hossa should be rather spirited. At this point, the discussion is in your hands. Do you have mostly good or mostly bad memories of Marian Hossa as a Penguin? We're putting it to a poll, and there's no wiggle room: it's either a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. What wins out: 12 goals and 14 assists in a Cup run, or the spurning of a $49 million offer to join what he thinks is a superior Detroit team?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Related:

The Legacy Of...Kordell Stewart

--
http://www.mondesishouse.com

Pittsburgh sports with a heavy dose of sarcasm! Updated daily, with coverage of the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt, and much more!

SILVERBACK PLAYED TWO

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:21:43 -0500

Big Ben: too cool for socks

For all of you concerned, the Steelers' softball extravaganza went off as planned on Saturday.

The "early" game at North Allegheny High School featured big names such as Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Nate Washington, Deshea Townsend, James Harrison, Max Starks, Larry Foote, WDVE's Jim Krenn, KDKA's Sonni Abata, and WTAE's Jon Burton AND Sally Wiggin, who undoubtedly drew the biggest cheering section.

No one ever gave him a chance as a softball player

Santonio Holmes also suited up and delivered on a called shot, joining Babe Ruth and Petr Sykora in the annals of sports history.

The "late" game in Washington, PA, didn't have quite the same level of star appeal, but it managed to snag James Harrison (who appears to have played in both games), Chris Hoke, insurance salesman/TV analyst/former Steeler Edmund Nelson, and the omnipresent Louis Lipps, among others.

The Steelers, apparently wearing the same uniforms they recently donned in their charity basketball tour, ultimately dropped this one, 14-6, to the Wild Things alumni. As shown, a good time was had by all.

And before you ask, yes, I felt this recap was more relevant than the Pirates' incredibly disappointing 7-6 loss to the lowly Nationals, which featured Paul Maholm allowing four home runs (including three in one inning) and Matt Capps serving up a gopherball to Lastings Milledge in the 9th inning. Bob Smizik is not happy. Then again, he rarely is.

HINES WARD CELEBRITY SOFTBALL RECAP [Kiss 96.1]

[Thanks to Shawn Jurik of Washington, PA for the photos and recap from the Wild Things game]

Devander: I HOPE RYAN MALONE LAUGHED

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:29:31 -0500

by Jason Devander
jasondevander@gmail.com

Honestly, I wanted to puke.

Granted, some of my stomach-churnings came in the aftermath of the Penguins being bounced by the Red Wings on Wednesday night, but I still wanted to vomit.

It goes back to Game 1 of the NBA Finals when Paul Pierce went down with, what looked like, a serious knee injury. He returned to the game minutes later, but my nausea arrived when he began to hit jumper after jumper and showing, what some called, "tremendous courage" by coming back after being hurt so seriously earlier.

He came back after flailing around on the floor, crying into the team doctor's arm while clutching his knee -- he refrained from licking his palms, a la Ferris Bueller -- and then teammates carried Pierce off the floor, which some folks at The Big Lead describe accurately as "more uncomfortable than any injury he received on the play." . For the big finish of embarrassment, team trainers or hangers-on whisked him away in a wheelchair to the locker room.

When you saw him go down, you thought "wow, that's a shame...his season's probably done." Then, as he returned several minutes later, healed by the miraculous powers of a neoprene knee brace, the inclination I felt became "wow, what a whiny, pussified girl" and so much like the kid you knew in fourth grade who cried when he got hit in the mouth with a Nerf football.

Now, I'm not the first nor the last to criticize Pierce. The Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke called BS on the moment, and so did, Phil Jackson, in so many words. But courage? Puh-leez. Yet, there were pundits after the game trying to compare Pierce's recovery from a knee injury to the comeback that the Knicks Willis Reed made in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Are you serious? Yes, they were serious. But, no, seriously people considered this an inspiring comeback. Have we gotten to this point in our society where the standards for magnificence are lowered to such an alarming degree?

Of course, the wonderful citizens of Boston will say this is the greatest thing ever, and they will all use this as another case of how the rest of the country hates-on everything Boston. In which case, they'll be right. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Boston is the new New York in the "I Hate Your Teams and Fans" Derby. (And for the record, I despise the expression "hate-on" and any form of "haters." Hate-on sounds too close to Head-On, the headache relief remedy applied directly to the forehead.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a Lakers fan or a Celtics fan. And I really do believe that Pierce hurt his knee. But I am a sports fan who respects and relishes real acts of courage and playing through pain, especially on the largest possible stage of which the game can be played.

For the record, I believe Willis Reed's return in the 1970 Finals should always be remembered as one of the gutsiest and heart-filled performances by any athlete in any sport. Period. It ranks right up there with the Toronto Maple Leaf's Bobby Baun breaking his ankle in Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals and returning in the same game to score the overtime winner. It's there with Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series. And let's not forget Michael Jordan's flu game in 1997.

But seriously, did Paul Pierce deserve the laurels that so many were ready to bestow upon him?

You want to talk about courage and playing through pain in THIS playoff year? How about Sergei Gonchar crashing into the boards at full speed in Game 5 vs. the Red Wings, hurting his back and shoulder, and then coming back to be a part of Petr Sykora's game-winner in overtime. And even that wasn't as impressive as Ryan Malone taking the USS Hal Gill's slap shot right in the face near the end of the second period, breaking his nose (again), and then returning for the start of the third after he was stitched up. Hell, Malone got up on his own and skated to the bench as blood poured from his face.

Malone didn't need a damn wheelchair.

And that's why I hope he laughed at Paul Pierce because, as the commercial says, "you'd never make it in the NHL."

SO CLOSE...

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:21:44 -0500

RED WINGS 3
PENGUINS 2

Watching this season play out, the way the Penguins' 2007-08 campaign finally ended pretty much summed it all up: a talented team facing adversity gave an incredible, gutsy effort.

Down 3-1 while getting only one shot on goal through the first 16 minutes of the third period? No problem. Summon Sergei Gonchar and Marian Hossa for a little power-play magic and give us renewed hope with a minute-and-a-half remaining.

With the lid of Mellon Arena ready to be blown off, Marian Hossa's final effort trickled past Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, just inches away from tying the score as the clock ran out on the Boys of Winter.

It was an excruciating tease of what could have been.

But hockey, like football and golf, is a game of inches. A bounce here, a bounce there, and the Penguins could have won more than two games in this series. But there is no doubt that the better team won. The Penguins were the NHL's #2 team this year, and considering the age and inexperience of many of these players, there's no shame in that. But the day after, that's a message that no one wants to hear, especially the players.

As the title implies, the Penguins were both close and far in this series. Things couldn't have started much worse than back-to-back shutouts in Detroit, coming home with a 7-0 goal defecit.

There were times when this series had the feel of the 1960 World Series between the Yankees and Pirates. Yes, it was played about 20 years before I was born, but I've heard and read about it enough to know what happened.

Going into Game Seven, the Yankees won three games over the Pirates by scores of 16-3, 10-0, and 12-0. The Pirates also won three games: 6-2, 3-2, and 5-2. And as we all know, it took every bit of the seventh game, right down to the final at-bat, for the Pirates to eek out a 10-9 victory on home turf, cementing Bill Mazeroski's legacy in this town for the rest of time.

From 1947-1959, the Yankees won eight World Series and appeared in two others. Of the three years in that span that they didn't make it, their records were 94-60 (1948), 103-51 (1954), and 79-75 (1959). Their team was stocked with names like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford...and that was just in 1960, to say nothing of the DiMaggios, Rizzutos, and Billy Martins that played in the years preceding.

To tie my comparison together, the Penguins were outshot by the following margins in this series: 36-19, 34-22, 34-24, 30-23, 58-32, and 30-22. True, shots alone don't win games, but they certainly give you an indication of who is in possession of the puck, and that was not the Penguins. They scored a grand total of 10 goals in six games, with seven of those 10 coming in just two games. They were facing a Red Wings team absolutely stocked with experienced, Stanley Cup-winning talent.

And much like the 1960 Pirates, these Penguins bridged the apparent gap between the two championship contestants with an amazing effort and a never-say-die attitude. After the series' start, few would have been surprised to see a sweep. But a funny thing happened on the way to that four-game series: the Penguins made it a series. This is not a team that packs it in.

The obstacles in the Penguins' path were many. First and foremost was the ridiculous Detroit defense, which was somehow able to totally neutralize the red-hot Pens, who had just had their way with the entire Eastern Conference. At times it was felt like trying to penetrate the Steel Curtain defense.

The Red Wings were able to hold Evgeni Malkin to a mere one goal for the entire series. The Penguins' goal scoring was very top-heavy, with three of their 10 from Hossa, two from Sidney Crosby, and two from the surprisingly efficient Adam Hall. Ryan Malone, Pascal Dupuis, and Gary Roberts were held to just one assist each. Jordan Staal failed to crack the scoring ledger.

With the lack of scoring production came the increased importance of other factors. Marc-Andre Fleury certainly silenced any remaining doubters who failed to notice his 19-10-2, 2.33 regular season or his 12-2 record coming into the Finals. Brooks Orpik and Hal Gill did their part to make the Red Wings sore on a regular basis. For inspirational purposes, you could look at a number of guys playing hurt, most notably Gonchar and Malone. There was the added lift from veterans Roberts and Daryl Sydor. And of course, no one will forget the efforts of Max Talbot or Petr Sykora in the near future.

Even on the losing end, it was as heroic an effort as anyone could have asked for. The Penguins gave, gave, and gave up until the final buzzer. Sadly, it was not to be this year. And I realize we can't take any future Finals appearances for granted, but the future is certainly bright.

So today, the offseason officially begins. GM Ray Shero is in a tough situation, as some combination of Hossa, Roberts, Dupuis, Hall, Malone, Orpik, Ty Conklin, Georges Laraque, and Jarkko Ruutu will surely sign for greater dollars elsewhere. But as he's proven time and time again, he's more than competent at his job. And while I'd love to see a guy like Hossa back in the black and gold next season, the Penguins will be a challenger for the crown regardless of who stays or goes.

To the Penguins, we thank you for an incredible, memorable season. From the October 5th opener against Carolina to the Winter Classic to the climactic finale last night, it will be regarded as a year for the ages.

The great thing for fans about playing this late into the season? Training camp's only a few short months away. I'm sure this nucleus will be more than ready to finish what they started.

HOW GREAT WAS IT?

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:41:45 -0500

PENGUINS 4

RED WINGS 3

TRIPLE OT

Now that people are starting to slowly awaken from their slumbers, it's time to try and decipher what we saw last night/morning. Everyone is going to have their unique angle today, be it depression [Albom], "last laugh" [Cook], or inspiration [Prisuta]. Of course, you could just ditch the Penguins discussion and write your umpteenth column about Mark Madden [Smizik], but instead I'm going with the question of where this game ranks in Pittsburgh sports history?

The way I see it, games are broken into two categories: most memorable games and most important games. A memorable game is a no-hitter, it's watching Mario score five goals five ways, it's a Steeler game played in a snowstorm. It can be in the regular season or the playoffs, and involve a good team or a bad team. An important game is a Stanley Cup-clincher, a Super Bowl victory, or something of great significance to your team's advancing.

Some games fall into both categories, most notably Bill Mazeroski's home run in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series, and for the wrong reasons, Game Seven of the 1992 NLCS (or as you may remember it: FRANCISCO CABRERA). This is the distinction that will be bestowed upon last night's contest.

But ultimately, where will Game Five rank in the pantheon of Pittsburgh sports (and Penguin) lore? Was it the greatest and/or most memorable Penguin game ever? That's up for debate. As far as memories go, multiple-OT or unusually lenghty games tend to stick with you, which will certainly strengthen the case for Game Five. I can tell you where I was for the "Petr Nedved Game" and the "Keith Primeau Game" all these years later, and they weren't in the Finals. I even vividly remember the Steelers-Falcons game a few years ago that ended in a tie after a ferocious rally led by Ron Mexico.

And in addition to the debate of what this game meant, we can also debate the great and memorable individual performances of all time based on what went down just a few hours ago. Last night featured 55 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury, a Willis Reed-like moment from Sergei Gonchar, an unreal goal on the brink of extinction from Max Talbot and a truly inspiring effort from the banged-up Ryan Malone. And that's before I even mentioned the words "Petr Sykora" and "Called Shot".

For Sykora, that goal defines his career. It's the moment that means he never has to pay for a meal or a drink in Pittsburgh for the rest of his life. It's the kind of play that allows a player to make a living by signing photos of that specific moment as long as he can scribble his name on an 8x10 photo. He joins Bill Buckner, Mookie Wilson, Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca, Don Larsen, and most recently, David Tyree in that unique category.

Yes, any way you slice it, Game Five had it all. Most important, though, was the fact that the Penguins actually, you know...won the game, because there were ample opportunities to add another name to another list: infamous players who took down Pittsburgh teams in the postseason. So to David Volek, Francisco Cabrera, Keith Primeau, and Larry Brown, sorry, but your exclusive club will not be getting any new members anytime soon.

Game 6 will be at 8:08 p.m. tomorrow at Mellon Arena. Our mental scrapbooks have a blank page ready and waiting.

OH CRAP!!!!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:14:18 -0500

The not quite expected start led to a no one expected this finish that seemed to go forever.

Petr Sykora Predicted He Would Win Game 5 For The Penguins

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:15:40 -0500

Petr Sykora scored the game-winning goal in the third overtime Monday night, as the Penguins beat the Red Wings to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Finals. But it was just what Sykora expected - he predicted he'd get the game winner two extra periods earlier.

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 5 Of The Finals

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:13:50 -0500

They had to work a little OT to do it, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have clawed back into the Stanley Cup Finals. Petr Sykora's called shot in triple OT has the series shifting back to Pittsburgh for Game 6. Will the Detroit Red Wings be able to handle the mounting pressure?

Whatifsports NHL Finals Simulated 10,000 Times

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:42:15 -0500

Whatifsports uses its super-computer to simulate out the NHL Finals 10,000 times to see who will win between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. The results show that it won't be a close series, with the winner prevailing 68% of the time. Click on the link to read the full article and see box scores for each of the games!

Western Pennsylvania Takes Game One

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:34:25 -0500

Tonight was the start of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins take Game 1, 4-2. The first period was very entertaining with five goals scored in the period. Evgeni Malkin added two goals and added a helper. Sid the Kid added a nice tip in goal that was assisted by Marian Hossa. Petr Sykora got the scoring started with a backhander...

Preview of Penguins and Rangers Round 2 Matchup

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:46:56 -0500

After a lengthy layoff, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally know who they will face in round two of the playoffs. The Washington Capitals lost to the Philadelphia Flyers tonight in a Game 7 overtime thriller, which means that the Penguins will face off against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The Montreal Canadiens, seeded #1 in the East, will get paired with the Philadelphia Flyers who hold the lowest seed of the advancing teams. Had the Capitals won, it would have been a Penguins-Capitals matchup for Round 2. Instead, it will be a fight between two teams that advanced out of the first round the quickest.

07-08 NHL Regular Season Awards and Recap

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:06:33 -0500

Looking back on the 2007-08 NHL regular season to hand out some awards and take one last look at some of the highlights of the season, including the fight of the year.

Gary Roberts Is Back!

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:12:35 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoff series against Ottawa Senators decisively by shutting them out 4-0. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was perfect in net, turning aside all 26 shots by the Senators. Wiley veteran Gary Roberts playing in just his 2nd game since returning from a 42-game hiaitus with a broken leg, scored twice and led the Penguins in setting the tone for the rest of the series. Evgeni Malkin extended his dominating play into the post season by notching 3-points (1G, 2A), and fueling the Penguins' offense.

Picking Your Fantasy Hockey Keepers

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:56:42 -0500

As the fantasy hockey season comes to an end, it is almost that time to start thinking about next year - especially if you're in a keeper league. In order to help you make the right decisions on keepers, FIO staff writer Greg Gibeault lays the groundwork for things to consider when choosing your keepers. This article may open your eyes to some outside/intangible factors that could influence your feelings.

Penguins Explode in 3rd, Bury Devils 7-1

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:08:00 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 5-goals in the 3rd period to bury the New Jersey Devils 7-1 and take over 1st place in the Atlantic Division. Evgeni Malkin broke the 100-point mark as he picked up 3-points (2G, 1A) to pull back within 4-points (102) of Alexander Ovechkin (106) for the NHL scoring lead. Ryan Malone had 2-points (2G), Marian Hossa had 3-points (3A), Pascal Dupuis had 2-points (1G, 1A), Petr Sykora had 3-points (1G, 2A), and Sergei Gonchar had 2-points (2A). Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24-of-25 shots to notch a win against the Devils. The Penguins trail the Montreal Canadiens by 1-point for the Eastern Conference lead, but have a game in hand against the Habs.