The Crosby Effect A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

**GoldenJet** · 09-08-2008, 02:26 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

thanks guys, I hope you make this popular, and highheat, I wouldn't worry, in my dynasty, I'm going to help the Rangers out, rather not see the Devils kick butt against the Rangers

**GoldenJet** · 09-08-2008, 02:36 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

I'm going to do a Rangers update just for highheat

After exiting the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the second round for the second consecutive season, New York Rangers General Manager Glen Sather decided to shake up his roster again.

One season after dipping deep into the free agent pool for centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, Sather cut ties with captain Jaromir Jagr, veteran forward Brendan Shanahan, uber-pest Sean Avery and defenseman Fedor Tyutin.

In their place, the Rangers added forwards Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche and defensemen Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin.

But as long as Henrik Lundqvist is backstopping the efforts, the Rangers look to be in position to get at least as far as the conference semifinals. The hope is the new cast can get new – and positive – results.

Goalies

Lundqvist was a Vezina Trophy finalist for the third-straight season after leading the League with 10 shutouts. He finished in the top six in the NHL with 37 wins (fourth) and a 2.23 goals-against average (sixth).

After playing 53 games as an NHL rookie in 2005-06, he's played 70 and 72 games. It's his durability and sustained excellence that have allowed the Rangers to return to the elite of the Eastern Conference after seven seasons out of the playoffs before his arrival.

New York Rangers

Category	Rank (Conference/NHL)
2007-08 Points	97 (5th East/9th NHL)
Change from 2006-07	-3
Home Points	53 (2nd East/6th NHL)
Away Points	44 (9th East/13th NHL)

At 6-foot-6, Stephen Valiquette is the tallest goaltender in the League, but there's more to him than great size. Valiquette lost just once in regulation after New Year's, and he shut out the Flyers in Philadelphia in consecutive appearances there in late January and early February.

**SabresKings3623** · 09-08-2008, 02:49 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

damn, nice job dude

**GoldenJet** · 09-08-2008, 03:01 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and the Penguins now have first-hand experience of the mental and physical aspects of a Stanley Cup run.

As the start of the 2008-09 NHL season approaches, the hockey world will give its predictions for the coming season. Most will peg the Pittsburgh Penguins to finish high in the standings, based on the experience they gained in their run to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final.

The players will be gunning to get at least as far as they got last season, with the goal being to take that last step, the one that ends with them parading the Stanley Cup around an arena.

History, though, says the Penguins will have a difficult time even getting out of the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Only once since 1996 has the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final won a playoff series in the following postseason. And of the 12 championship-round losing teams prior to the 2008 Penguins, four missed the following postseason entirely.

So what can the Penguins do to buck the trend? For starters, ignore history.

2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS

2008-09 Season Preview Index
(Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

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It's been eight long years since the Panthers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and even longer since they tasted a postseason victory. Florida, a team that's beefed up its defense, has plans to change all that this season. ...more

Sharks want more than regular-season success
Being one of the NHL's best regular-season teams isn't enough for the San Jose Sharks. General Manager Doug Wilson changed coaches and revamped his defense in the hopes of avoiding another early playoff departure. ...more

"I don't think you can really worry about it," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby told NHL.com. "You have to look at things short-term. When you go that far, you start the next season thinking we have to get back there. That's where everyone wants to be. But the process of the season doesn't change because you were there the year before. You have to have a good start. There are different points of the season, whether it be longer road trips or a stretch of divisional games, there are certain points that are big. You have to realize and recognize what they are, the same as you would the year before. If anything, you have to use the experience you've gained to your advantage."

Crosby said what he and his teammates learned was that the biggest success comes from the doing the smallest things.

"We really realized how demanding the playoffs are," said Crosby. "What it takes as a team, the little details it takes to be successful. Not just the playoffs; you have to look at the regular season. We faced a lot of adversity, we had a lot of injuries, and we got through that. You have to go through a lot of different points in the season and different scenarios in the playoffs in order to be successful, and we saw the results from that."

For Jordan Staal, it wasn't so much keeping up with the physical side of the game, but handling the mental demands of playing hard from training camp in September through the Cup Final in June.

"It's a long season and mentally it is tough to be prepared for every game and that is something I improved on a lot – just being ready for every game and playing strong," he said. "Also, obviously, how close your team has to be to make it that far. Everybody has to be on the same page and working for the same goal. I believe we had a team that was doing that last year and that is why we had some good success."

Since 1995, only one team has lost in the Stanley Cup Final and won a postseason series the next season. Here's a list of the last 12 Cup finalists and how they did the following postseason:
2007	Ottawa	Lost first round of 2008 Playoffs
2006	Edmonton	Missed 2007 Playoffs
2004	Calgary	Lost first round of 2006 Playoffs
2003	Anaheim	Missed 2004 Playoffs
2002	Carolina	Missed 2003 Playoffs
2001	New Jersey	Lost first round of 2002 Playoffs
2000	Dallas	Lost second round of 2001 Playoffs
1999	Buffalo	Lost first round of 2000 Playoffs
1998	Washington	Missed 1999 Playoffs
1997	Philadelphia	Lost first round of 1998 Playoffs
1996	Florida	Lost first round of 1997 Playoffs
1995	Detroit	Lost 1996 Western Conference Finals

Some of the players who had a part in that success have moved on – forwards Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and Georges Laraque and backup goalie Ty Conklin – but the core players, centers Crosby, Staal and Evgeni Malkin, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Sergei Gonchar, remain in place.

"We lost a few players this summer, but we picked up quite a few and we still have that core group that brought us to the Final," said Staal. "I believe that we still have a very strong team and obviously we can do it all over again."

Helping in that will be new additions Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko and Matt Cooke. Satan played in the 1999 Cup Final with Buffalo and Fedotenko won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with Tampa Bay, but Cooke has won just one playoff series in his career, and Satan and Fedotenko languished last season with the New York Islanders. They should be hungry for a taste of postseason success that their new teammates enjoyed last season.

"That's important (having new guys)," said Crosby, "but it's really important that the guys who were there before stress how important it is for us to get back to that same place. For any new guy coming in, they'll see it right away. Whether they feel it or they don't, they're going to realize there's only one direction we want to go and that's up."

**GoldenJet** · 09-08-2008, 03:15 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

They are the last line of defense, and in some cases, the biggest stars on the team. Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon thinks the importance of having great goaltending is so important that he plans to employ two No. 1s this season.

Each conference has their share of supremely talented goalies, but some consistently separate themselves from the rest. What follows is NHL.com's list of the top five goalies from the Western Conference entering this season.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim Ducks -- When you talk about consistent goalies, Giguere belongs near the top of the list. He has won at least 30 games in each of the past three seasons while never playing in more than 60. His GAA has gone down and his save percentage has gone up every season since the lockout.

Giguere, like the rest of the Ducks, had a disappointing 2008 Playoffs, but history suggests this will be his bounce back year. In his four playoff appearances, Giguere has twice made the Stanley Cup Final.

Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks -- Despite appearing in the playoffs only once in his career, Luongo is widely respected throughout the League as one of the premier netminders. He has the talent and the numbers to prove it.

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2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS

Luongo has played in 70 or more games in each of the past four seasons. He posted a career-best 47 wins in 2006-07 when the Canucks made the playoffs. Last season he won 35 games and had a 2.38 GAA, but Vancouver fell short.

Much like Brodeur in New Jersey and Miller in Buffalo, Luongo is the star in Vancouver and he'll have to play like it for the Canucks to get back to the postseason.

Who are the best East goalies?

Martin Brodeur is poised to shatter several milestones this season, including most wins ever, but he has competition as the East's best goalie. ...more

West's top goalies

VIDEO	Goalie
	Roberto Luongo
	Evgeni Nabokov
	Chris Osgood
	Marty Turco

Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks -- Prior to last season, Nabokov hadn't played 60 games in a season since 2001-02, when he played in 67. Last season, he played in a career-high 77 and put up remarkable numbers, including a 46-21-8 record with a 2.14 GAA, a .910 save percentage and six shutouts.

While 77 games played may seem a bit high, Nabokov proved he could handle the load. He likely will play closer to 65-70 this season with Brian Boucher, a veteran backup, signed to start the season with the Sharks.

Nevertheless, Nabokov could be in line for another All-Star season.

Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings -- Osgood has had a roller coaster career, but the ride got really sweet last season when he supplanted Dominik Hasek as the No. 1 in Detroit and led the Wings to their fourth Stanley Cup championship in the last 11 years.

He may not have the cachet of some of these other guys, but Osgood is a consistent winner and that puts him on a very short list. If he stays healthy, he could possibly win his 400th career game this season. He has 363 right now.

Osgood has won 30 games only once in the last five seasons, but this is the first time since 2003-04 that he is entering the season as the No. 1. He is also on the League's best team -- at least that's what the Wings are on paper as we enter the season.

Marty Turco, Dallas Stars -- Turco silenced some critics last season with a strong postseason. He led the Stars to the Western Conference Final, where they gave Detroit a run, and finished the playoffs with a 2.08 GAA and .922 save percentage.

He should be buoyed by the confidence gained from the playoffs, and that should again make Dallas a very dangerous team in the Pacific Division. Turco will also likely carry a heftier load this year without a proven backup.

He hasn't played in 70 games since 2003-04, but if he's healthy that's about the number the Stars are looking for from him considering Stephane Tobias, who has played in one NHL game, is currently the No. 2 in Dallas.

**SabresKings3623** · 09-08-2008, 03:37 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

you're too good at this

**GoldenJet** · 09-08-2008, 04:36 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Remembering Last Year, Penguins Style!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECVWX3NYLaQ

**highheatkingsb** · 09-08-2008, 06:50 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

SWEET!!!! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!!! I'm getting so pumped for hockey season reading this.

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 03:06 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

They've been in the NHL a long time, though never on the same team. But Slava Kozlov of the Atlanta Thrashers and Viktor Kozlov of the Washington Capitals share more than a common, though unrelated, last name and home country. The two veteran Russian forwards are among the NHL's best when it comes to shootouts.

Slava Kozlov is tied with Tampa Bay center Jussi Jokinen for the all-time lead with 17 shootout goals. But Kozlov has been more consistent; 10 of Jokinen's goals (on 13 tries) came in 2005-06, the first season in which the shootout was used. Since then, he's 7-for-16, including 2-for-4 last season. Kozlov had five goals in 14 tries for the Thrashers last season after going 7-for-11 in 2006-07 and 5-for-7 in 2005-06, a combined total of 17-for-32.

Viktor Kozlov has been a shootout star for three teams. He was 8-for-12 for New Jersey in 2005-06, 5-for-13 (including the goal that sent New York into the playoffs) for the Islanders in 2006-07, and 3-for-7 for Washington last season. In all, that's 16-for-32.

Both Kozlovs have also been good when the game's on the line. Each has eight game-deciding goals, one less than Boston's Phil Kessel, who's tops in the three seasons the NHL has used the shootout.

But the Kozlovs aren't the only shootout aces in the Eastern Conference:

Jussi Jokinen, Lightning -- Jokinen shares the mark for most shootout goals with Slava Kozlov, though he needed only 29 tries to get them. He did all his damage for Dallas before being dealt to the Lightning at the trade deadline in a package that sent Brad Richards (another shootout star) to the Stars. RELATED: West shootout stars Jokinen has fallen off since 2005-06, when he scored on a record nine consecutive tries.

Phil Kessel, Bruins -- Kessel doesn't deal in volume; he's 9-for-20 in two NHL seasons, a good-but-not-great 45-percent success mark. But every one of Kessel's goals, 4 in 2006-07 and 5 (in 13 tries) last season was a game-decider. No one has more -- even though the 20-year-old has only been in the NHL for two of the three seasons in which the shootout has been used.

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2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS

2008-09 Season Preview Index
(Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

Flyers see plenty of room to improve
The Philadelphia Flyers emerged from the abyss last season to reach the Eastern Conference finals. What do they plan on doing for an encore this season? Taking the next step, that's what. ...more

Coyotes seek to end non-playoff streak
After five consecutive non-playoff seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes hope the addition of veterans like center Olli Jokinen and the arrival of talented rookies like Kyle Turris will be enough to get them into the postseason. ...more

Erik Christensen, Thrashers -- Like Jokinen, Christensen is a lower-line center who's deadly in shootouts and was traded at the deadline last February. The Penguins dealt him to Atlanta, setting up what figures to be one of the NHL's best 1-2 shootout combos. Christensen was 6-for-11 last season and is 15-for-26 (.577) in his career.

Miroslav Satan, Penguins -- Christensen is gone, but the Penguins shouldn't lose much thanks to the arrival of Satan as a free agent. In three seasons with the Islanders, Satan was 13-for-28 (46.4 percent), despite a 1-for-5 showing last season. He had 7 goals in 2005-06 and 5 more in 2006-07, and has 7 game-deciders.

Matt Cullen, Hurricanes -- Carolina plays few shootouts, a League-low 20 in three seasons and only five in 2007-08. That's too bad for Cullen, who was 2-for-3 last season and is 11-for 20 in his career, including two seasons with the 'Canes sandwiched around one with the New York Rangers.

Nikolai Zherdev, Rangers -- Zherdev excelled in 2007-08 while enjoying his best NHL season for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Rangers acquired Zherdev hoping he can better his career-best totals of 25 goals and 61 points. But Zherdev also converted five of his eight shootout attempts, by far the best on the Jackets.

Zach Parise, Devils -- For a team like New Jersey that plays in a ton of shootouts (their 43 is the most in shootout history), it's vital to have players who can convert under pressure. Parise is one of those players. He was 4-for-11 with three game-deciders last season and is 12-for-28 (.429) in three seasons with 6 game-deciding goals.

Patrik Elias, Devils -- Elias wasn't much on shootouts in 2005-06 and 2006-07, going just 4-for-16. He must have made some adjustments last summer, because he turned into one of the League's best shootout gunners, going 5-for-6 for a .833 percentage that led all players who took five or more shots.

Saku Koivu, Canadiens -- Saku has to battle younger brother Mikko of the Minnesota Wild for the title of best shootout artist in his family. Mikko has 13 career goals, but Saku is coming off a 5-for-11 performance and is now 10-for-20 in his career. His 50-percent success rate is slightly better than Mikko's 46.4.

Ales Kotalik, Sabres -- Kotalik isn't someone most fans think about when discussing players who do well in shootouts, but he's been consistently productive for the Sabres, going 5-for-12 last season and 12-for-25 in his career. Five of the 12 goals were game-deciders.

**Marino** · 09-09-2008, 03:10 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

lets go hurricanes

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 03:11 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

The San Jose Sharks were among the NHL's weakest teams in the shootout in the first two seasons the League used the penalty-shot competition to decide games tied after overtime. They won just 3 of 12 games, fewer wins than any other NHL team.

That changed in 2007-08, thanks to one of the NHL's best young players and one of its senior citizens.

Center Joe Pavelski, a 23-year-old playing his first full NHL season, turned out to be one of the NHL's deadliest scorers in shootouts with 7 goals in 11 tries, tying him with Chicago's Patrick Kane for the League lead. His 63.6-percent success rate was nearly double the League mark of 32.5.

But Pavelski had some help in making shootouts miserable for opposing goaltenders.

Jeremy Roenick, who turned 38 at midseason and had taken only three shootout attempts in the previous two seasons, signed with the Sharks as a free agent last summer and showed that he still had some skills left. Not only did he get 14 goals, including 10 game-winners, but he also showed himself to be a marksman in the shootout, scoring 4 times in 5 tries. Three of the goals were game-deciders.

Pavelski and Roenick aren't the only shootout sharpshooters in the Western Conference. Here are some of the other shooters in the West who make life miserable for goaltenders:

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks -- Kane won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2007-08 after leading all first-year players in scoring. Kane also was a sensation at the shootout, scoring 7 goals in 9 tries to tie Joe Pavelski for the most successful attempts. His 77.8-percent success rate was the best among all players who had more than 6 attempts.

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2008-2009 SEASON PREVIEWS

2008-09 Season Preview Index
(Features, comings & goings, stats, plus more)

Flyers see plenty of room to improve
The Philadelphia Flyers emerged from the abyss last season to reach the Eastern Conference finals. What do they plan on doing for an encore this season? Taking the next step, that's what. ...more

Coyotes seek to end non-playoff streak
After five consecutive non-playoff seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes hope the addition of veterans like center Olli Jokinen and the arrival of talented rookies like Kyle Turris will be enough to get them into the postseason. ...more

Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers -- Hemsky had lots of chances on the shootout; he was second in the NHL to teammate Sam Gagner with 16 attempts. Hemsky's 6 goals were one short of the League lead, and he tied for second with 4 game-deciding goals.

Brad Richards, Dallas Stars -- Richards was deadly on shootouts while playing with Tampa Bay before shifting to Dallas on trade-deadline day, and he should keep Dallas among the NHL's best this season. He has 14 goals in 25 career attempts, a .560 percentage, including 3 goals in 4 tries last season.

Sergei Zubov, Dallas Stars -- Dallas has been one of the NHL's best shootout teams, and Zubov is a big reason why. Zubov's 13 shootout goals in 29 attempts (despite going 1-for-5 in an injury-plagued 2007-08) are more than any other defenseman in the League, and 7 of those have been game-deciders.

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings -- Datsyuk's brilliance on the ice extends to shootouts, as well. He converted 4 times in 10 tries last season and has a career mark of 12-for-26 (46.2 percent) in three seasons.

Wojtek Wolski, Colorado Avalanche -- The Avs might want to make sure Wolski always gets a chance to shoot. He was 4-for-8 last season and is a career 50-percent shooter, with 7 goals in 14 tries.

Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild -- No player currently playing in the West starts the season with as many shootout goals as Koivu, who has 13 in 28 attempts despite being stopped 7 times in 8 tries last season. Before 2007-08, he was 12-for-21, a .571 percentage.

Paul Kariya, St. Louis Blues -- Like Koivu, Kariya is coming off a bad shootout season (0-for-6) but is still among the League's most successful shootout artists. Despite his struggles in 2007-08, he still has a 50-percent success rate, with 12 goals in 24 tries.

Shawn Horcoff, Edmonton Oilers -- Horcoff didn't get nearly as many attempts as some of his teammates, but he made the most of the ones he had, scoring 5 times in 7 tries for a 71.4-percent success rate.

Patrick O'Sullivan, Los Angeles Kings -- The Kings got a couple of surprises from O'Sullivan last season. Not only did he score 22 goals and 53 points in his first full NHL season, but he connected on 4 of his 5 shootout attempts after going 0-for-2 in 2006-07. Three of the goals were game-deciders.

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 03:27 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Flyers' Gagne feels like a new man

The Philadelphia Flyers were uncharacteristically quiet during the NHL's free-agent signing spree this summer, shedding far more salary than they took on.

Gone are solid two-way forward R.J. Umberger (traded to Columbus) and dressing room leaders Jason Smith (signed with Ottawa) and Sami Kapanen (signed in Finland).

In their places are relative unknowns like Glen Metropolit, Arron Asham, Steve Eminger, Ossi Vaananen and … Simon Gagne?

"The way I look at it, I might be the free agent the Flyers signed this year," Gagne said recently. "I wasn't a big part of the team last year and I want to be a big part this season."

Gagne said the concussions symptoms that kept him out of all but 25 games last season are completely gone, thanks to an innovative injection therapy called prolotherapy.

Gagne, 28, first heard about the procedure while watching a health segment on a Philadelphia news channel. He contacted Dr. Scott Greenberg, who specializes in prolotherapy at
Magaziner Center For Wellness and Anti-Aging in Cherry Hill, N.J.

"When I first saw Simon back in April, he had neck pain, dizziness and real bad headaches," Greenberg said. "But he also had a tilt to his pelvis and some back pain. His symptoms were very similar to whiplash."

Gagne underwent a series of anesthetic injections in his neck, head, shoulders, pelvis and back. Greenberg said the injections are generally made up of two anesthetics and an inflammatory agent such as dextrose or cod liver extract. According to Greenberg, the inflammatory agent tells the body there is an area that needs repair. The body then sends white-blood cells that help remove debris from the area and repair damaged tissue, tendons and ligaments. Gagne underwent weekly prolotherapy treatments throughout the spring and was seriously considering returning to the Flyers' lineup if they had made it past the Pittsburgh Penguins and into the Stanley Cup Final. He now receives treatments once a month. "He's completely pain free," Greenberg said. "He can now track the puck with no problems and his balance is perfect."Gagne has also stepped up his offseason training regimen. At the advice of teammate Daniel Briere, he is working once a week with Hugo Girard, a five-time winner of Canada's Strongest Man competition. Briere began working with Girard in 2001 and Gagne decided to try the rigorous program this summer. Girard, who is best known for pulling an 80-ton Boeing 737, stands 6-foot-2, 330 pounds and has a 62-inch chest, a 33-inch waist and 22-inch biceps. Under Girard's direction, Gagne has hurled tires and has run 30-yard sprints while carrying bags of sand. It has really helped with my balance and foot quickness," Gagne said. "I'm in better shape now than before I got hurt. That is precisely what Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren was hoping for when he met with Gagne during individual meetings at the end of last season. "Simon's taking his conditioning a little more seriously," Holmgren said. "He's changed his diet and he has set new parameters for himself. He's pushing himself to the max. "A two-time 40-goal scorer, Gagne said he's anxious to get back on the ice to see the results of his summer therapy. Gagne is likely to return to a top line with Briere at center and either Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble or rookie Claude Giroux on the right wing. "The first few days of training camp are going to be huge for him," Holmgren said. "I'm more excited for him than I am concerned."

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 03:49 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

It was inevitable that Chris Chelios would return for a 25th NHL season, but it finally became official Tuesday afternoon when the 46-year-old defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings. His illustrious career dates back to the 1983-84 season when he skated in 12 games for the Montreal Canadiens.

“Obviously in my situation and age, and being on the best team in the league -- you have some young guys on the team that you have to play or you’re going to lose them -- so I understand the situation and I love playing here,” Chelios said. “My role, I’ve accepted that, so I’ll make the best of it. I guess I can say I’m a survivor because I’m still here at this age. But things change quick in this game. We’ll start the season and I’ll make the best of it and work hard.”

Chelios agreed to accept a lesser role this season, noting that many of the younger defensemen – namely Brett Lebda, Kyle Quincey, Derek Meech and Jonathan Ericcson -- need more ice-time.
“The only difference is that guys have to play. It’s understandable,” Chelios said. “But when you watch and see what happened with Brett Favre -- and I don’t put myself in the same class as him by no means -- but that’s the nature of the beast. For now, I’m happy to be back, and I’m looking forward to another great year.”

Chelios was back for his first day of informal workouts at Joe Louis Arena before the team heads to Traverse City for training camp in less than two weeks. Also back in town for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in June where forwards Valtteri Filppula and Aaron Downey, and defenseman Niklas Kronwall.

Chelios, the second oldest player in league history, played in 69 games last season, scoring three goals with nine assists and a plus-11 rating. He suffered a knee injury in the playoffs that forced him to sit-out the Stanley Cup finals. He had arthroscopic surgery in mid-June.

“The biggest thing in the three rounds that I played, I felt that I contributed and didn’t hurt the team’s chances to win,” he said. “It’s hindsight, and it gave some guys the opportunity to play and we won, which was the biggest thing.”

The Red Wings’ logjam of defensemen means that Chelios will likely sit more games that he’s been accustom throughout his career, but general manager Ken Holland is excited to welcome back his veteran’s leadership.

“Obviously, the base is a little less than he made last year with taking the bonuses out, but he’s anxious and he’s in great shape,” Holland said. “We’re deep on defense; it’s going to be a competition and we’re going to dress the best six.”

As for retirement, Chelios said he thought he was close to hanging up his skates after the 1998-99 season. But now he doesn’t predict when that day may come.

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 04:02 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Hossa received a few pointers on his first day with the Red Wings from goalie and new teammate Chris Osgood.

DETROIT – Superstar right wing Marian Hossa arrived in town last Friday evening. On Monday, he was skating with many of his new Red Wings’ teammates at Joe Louis Arena.

Hossa is participating in informal workouts at JLA before the Red Wings head north to training camp in Traverse City beginning Sept. 20.

The outlook for Hossa is completely different than last September when he was preparing for his third campaign with the Atlanta Thrashers.

“Obviously, I know I’m going to a different team,” Hossa said. “I was in Atlanta last September and now I’m with one of the top teams in the league. That’s the biggest difference, the level of the goals. In Atlanta, the goal was always to make the playoffs, and here the goal is to win the Stanley Cup.”

In February, the Thrashers traded Hossa – who was to become a free agent at the end of the 2007-08 season –- to Pittsburgh, where he helped the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup finals.
The former first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, Hossa signed with the Red Wings on July 2.

“I signed here because there is a great chance to win it,” he said. “Obviously, it’s not guaranteed, but on paper this is the best team, and we just have to prove it and hopefully I made the right decision to come here.”

A 10-year veteran of the league, Hossa has said that he turned down fat contract offers from other teams just for a shot at winning the Stanley Cup in Detroit this season.

“It’s exciting to come to Detroit with a lot of history,” he said. “It was a short summer for us. I obviously would have liked to stay at home a little longer, but I’m looking forward to the new challenge and playing with the great players, the experienced players and it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s always fun when you’re winning and that’s why I’m here.”

**GoldenJet** · 09-09-2008, 04:50 PM

Re: *The Crosby Effect* A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

Pre-Season Schedule

Pittsburgh Penguins will be visited by the Tampa Bay Lightning first off.

The Penguins then return to the Lightning to face of in the St. Pete Forum for a rematch.

Penguins take on Tomas Kaberle and Curtis Joseph, as the Penguins take on the Leafs at home.

Pens then take on the Leafs once again back in the Air Canada Arena

The Crosby Effect A Penguins Dynasty 2.0

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