SabreSpace

'"I talked to him a bit in the past couple of days, and we're certainly going to need him to play at the level he's been playing at for the past two years and to pick up his game a little bit," Lemieux said yesterday. "I think we need him to play a little bit better for us to have a chance to go all the way. He's got to elevate his game and be … [Read more...] about Lemieux: Jagr can do better

'Hasek isn't Buffalo's only big-name player -- veterans like Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk work there now, too -- but the heart of the Sabres' lineup consists of players whose productivity is significantly higher than their profiles.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo confronts the Penguins with depth, defense and desire

'No town should be more leery of runaway optimism from a first-round victory than Pittsburgh.' … [Read more...] about First round success often leads nowhere

'Scott is vice president of merchandising for the IHL's Manitoba Moose, and no one is happier that goaltender Johan Hedberg is doing so well for the Penguins. The orders from Western Pennsylvania for Moose merchandise are making Scott's job as rewarding as it is demanding.' … [Read more...] about They'll call it the Antler Arena next week

'Ruff plans to match C Curtis Brown against Penguins C Mario Lemieux. "They've got great team speed," Ruff said. "And we've got to make it tough for them to use that."' … [Read more...] about Penguins Scouting Report

'So, grab yourself an IC Light (or a Genny Cream, as the case might be) and appreciate the fact that these showdowns rarely occur outside of fantasy board games and barroom debates. This is Koufax against McGuire. Rice versus Blount. Shaq against Russell.' … [Read more...] about Dream Matchup: Lemieux and Jagr vs. Hasek

'If the Capitals couldn't bewilder the Penguins, nobody can.' … [Read more...] about Penguins to prevail in six games

'There are more pressing questions facing Jagr. This could be his final playoff season as a Penguins player as well as a teammate of Lemieux's. At various times during these playoffs he has appeared distracted, almost unhappy.' … [Read more...] about Jagr continues his pursuit of happiness

'He's been stellar so far, especially considering his inexperience in the NHL in general and his unfamiliarity with the cauldron of Stanley Cup playoffs pressure in particular. But had Hedberg been left out to dry the way so many Penguins goaltenders have been in so many previous postseasons, the way Hedberg himself had been in his first two starts at Florida and at Tampa Bay, … [Read more...] about ‘Moose’ the story of the playoffs

'"Everybody knows how good he is, but I believe we can still score some goals."' … [Read more...] about Hlinka on Hasek: ‘He’s not God.’

'"They have four good lines, so we're going to have to use four lines if we want to beat these guys," said Mario Lemieux, the Penguins owner and first-line center. "You can't play three lines and get worn down as the series progresses. We're going to need four lines that can go out and do the job."' … [Read more...] about Fourth line still up in the air

'The Sabres translated their regular-season formula for success, hard work, balance and excellent special teams and goaltending, into a six-game triumph over Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.' … [Read more...] about Scouting Report

'The Penguins are approaching their Eastern Conference semifinal series that begins tonight in Buffalo as a kill-or-be-killed proposition.' … [Read more...] about Penguins hard at work on killing power plays

'Mario Lemieux came out of retirement for one more shot at winning a Stanley Cup. Dominik Hasek put off plans to retire for the same reason.' … [Read more...] about Hasek vs. Lemieux: Stanley Cup dreams collide

'"I think we need him to play a little better for us to have a chance to go all the way," Lemieux said during a conference call. "He's got to elevate his game and be a leader."' … [Read more...] about Lemieux challenges Jagr to elevate game