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head coach: Kevin Constantine

roster: C - Ron Francis, Martin Straka, C. Ferraro, Tyler Wright, Robert Lang, Sean Pronger. LW - Stu Barnes, Andreas Johansson, Alex Hicks, Garry Valk. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Morozov, Ed Olczyk, Robby Brown, Robert Dome. D - Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher, Chris Tamer, Fredrik Olausson, Neil Wilkinson, Ian Moran, Brad Werenka, Jiri Slegr, Tuomas Gronman. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget, Peter Skudra.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
y-Pittsburgh 82  40  24  18    98  228  188 
x-Boston     82  39  30  13    91  221  194  
x-Buffalo    82  36  29  17    89  211  187  
x-Montreal   82  37  32  13    87  235  208  
x-Ottawa     82  34  33  15    83  193  200  
Carolina     82  33  41   8    74  200  219   

y - Clinched division
x - Clinched playoff spot

team news:

by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief

1997-98 marked the first season of the Post-Lemieux Era in Pittsburgh Penguin hockey. And with the club's Stanley Cup depth all but drained, it was clear that the franchise needed to go in a new direction. The days of beating opponents with sheer talent alone were over. Pittsburgh was going to have to survive with an overall team commitment to defense. Surprisingly, that's exactly what happened. The Penguins won the Northeast Division with a record of 40-24-18 and finished fourth in team defense, allowing a mere 188 goals. That's some wild, wild stuff.

But the transformation wasn't easy. The first step was finding the right coach. After a lengthy interview process, GM Craig Patrick decided on former San Jose Shark bench boss Kevin Constantine. It was a wise decision.

From his first day on the job, Constantine began shaping the Penguins in his image. He demanded hard work and dedication from his troops and made them accountable for their actions. Practices were no longer just for show. He put the players through their paces, signaling an end of the "country club" atmosphere that characterized the Penguins the past several years. Jaromir Jagr had the habit of attending practice without a helmet. That changed under Constantine. It may not seem like much, but Jagr strapping on a hat was symbolic of things to come. This was no longer a player-driven team. Constantine was in control.

It's also important to note that Constantine wasn't alone. He had four assistant coaches, three more than Eddie Johnston had the previous season. And he knew how to take advantage of the added help. Constantine delegated authority beautifully. Don Jackson was in charge of defense, Mike Eaves was the offensive coordinator, Rick Kehoe handled the power play, and Troy Ward stayed upstairs and was in charge of video. When it was late in the game and the Penguins needed a goal, it was Eaves that diagramed the play at the bench, not Constantine. When they were protecting a lead late, Jackson took over. Allowing others to do their jobs is the sign of a great leader. But rest assured, whenever something went wrong, those in question had to answer to Constantine.

Once the coach was in place, the Penguins next had to address their personnel problems. The club's depth was almost nonexistent the last couple years. The situation was exasperated when restricted free agent Petr Nedved declined the club's contract offers and decided to sit out. New bodies were needed. Not wanting to spend money on high-priced free agents and with no candidates within the organization ready for promotion, Patrick took a trip to the junkyard and salvaged the careers of Rob Brown, Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Brad Werenka, and Jiri Slegr. These guys were written off for dead, yet Patrick took a chance on them and all five became significant contributors, especially in the defensive end. It's hard to imagine what the season would have been like without their surprising efforts.

Pittsburgh's bid for a new defensive identity also got a major boost from the return of Tom Barrasso. After playing in just five games in 1996-97 because of shoulder surgery, there were all sorts of rumors that Barrasso would be cut loose from the organization. But Patrick never lost confidence in his former Cup winning goaltender. He never questioned Barrasso's ability to make a successful return. Tommy repaid that loyalty with an amazing season, posting a 31-14-13 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and a franchise record seven shutouts. And get this, he even talked to the media. Barrasso was simply incredible in every aspect of the game. His performance earned him a well deserved Vezina Trophy nomination.

Having a healthy Barrasso was crucial to the cause since backup Ken Wregget appeared in only 15 games due to injury. This meant that when Barrasso did get banged up a little bit rookie Peter Skudra was called upon to carry the load. An unbelievably quick goaltender, Skudra relied on speed and reflexes to go 6-4-3 with a 1.83 goals-against and a .924 save percentage. Those numbers are excellent, but don't confuse Skudra for '96-97 phenom Patrick Lalime. Skudra is faster but has nowhere near the technique or positioning of his predecessor. The only reason Skudra got his chance was that Lalime turned down a two-way contract with the Penguins and sat out all season before being traded to Anaheim at the deadline for center Sean Pronger. With the proper coaching Skudra could develop into a quality netminder, but he's still an extremely raw talent.

Because of Barrasso's stellar play in net, the Penguins were allowed to feel their way into Constantine's new system over the first several weeks of the season. Without Barrasso bailing them out early and stealing a few games, the transition would have been much more painful, and would have in all likelihood failed.

The system Constantine was trying to employ wasn't as obvious as a left wing lock or neutral zone trap. While the Penguins would trap on occasion, their new style was just that... a style. More than just Xs and Os, Constantine wanted his players to play intelligent hockey, concentrating on defense first and letting the offense come as a result of hard work, not risky gambles or individual efforts as in the past.

Pittsburgh needed this team concept because it just didn't have the talent it once did. This was a one-line team. Luckily, that one line was the highest scoring unit in the league, featuring Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, and Stu Barnes.

The trio wasn't together all season, tho'. Rookie Alexei Morozov started the year with Francis and Jagr, and even scored the team's first goal of the season on his very first shot of his first shift. But the youngster was playing out of position on the left side and just wasn't ready for such a marquee assignment. Andreas Johansson was next in line and played some solid two-way hockey, but a shoulder injury knocked him out of action and opened the door for Barnes. Good ol' Stu was more than happy to skate with the two superstars and immediately clicked. Not only did Barnes register career highs in goals (30), assists (35), points (65), and power-play goals (15), but he also became the team's top faceoff man, taking some pressure off Francis.

Stu's finishing ability was the perfect compliment to Francis' passing and Jagr's puck possession. But he was just along for the ride. This was still Francis and Jagr's show. After getting off to a slow start, the Czech Wonder Kid emerged as the only 100-point scorer in the NHL, bagging 35 goals and 102 points in 77 games. Many questioned the free-spirited Jagr's ability to get along with Constantine, but the two made it work. There was a reported blowup towards the end of the season, but it was nothing that was detrimental to the team. Jagr vented some frustration with his own play and Constantine let him. It was as simple as that.

One reason that Jagr and Constantine were able to get along was that Francis often worked as a mediator. Jagr has tremendous respect for Francis and would pretty much do whatever his veteran center tells him. People think that it was Lemieux that tutored Jagr, but Francis is the real man behind Jaromir's growth as a player. And he did more this year than just keep the peace. Francis had yet another remarkable season, recording 25 goals and 87 points while appearing in all 82 games.

Pittsburgh's next highest scoring forward was Marty Straka. The little Czech played both center and wing this season, chipping in 19 goals and 42 points. While he seemed to misplace some of his old scoring touch, Straka became a much better defensive player under Constantine's guidance, even anchoring the penalty kill. In fact, he was arguably the club's second best all-around player behind Francis.

Likewise, Robby Brown also went through his own defensive renaissance. Known as a floater in his first tour of duty with the Pens, Brown wasn't about to let a second shot at the NHL go to waste after languishing in the minor leagues the last five years. Brown was one of the first to commit to Constantine's style and won the coach over with an inspired showing at training camp. While he still had decent hands around the net, and finished sixth on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 40 points, Brown found his true niche as a checking winger on the third line, joining Robert Lang and Alex Hicks to forge a steady checking unit that often went against the opposition's best. Lang even displayed enough skill to step up and center a second scoring line during the last few games of the regular season.

Alexei Morozov by Meredith Martini

The only other talent up front was the aforementioned Morozov and fellow rookie Robert Dome. Morozov finished his first NHL campaign with just 13 goals and 26 points in 76 games, but those numbers hardly reflect his overwhelming talent. This kid is something special. He'll be an impact player within two years. Dome spent much of his season in the AHL, but impressed with his powerful stride and heavy shot during his 30 games with the big club. Both kids should be important keys to the franchise's future.

Tyler Wright deserves mentioning as the fourth line center. Wright was his usual scrappy self, stirring up trouble whenever he was on the ice. He didn't play much but when he did everyone on the ice knew it. His work was rewarded when the Penguins protected him during the expansion draft.

Pittsburgh's defense relied on the same six players all year. The regular pairings were Kevin Hatcher with Fredrik Olausson, Darius Kasparaitis with Brad Werenka, and Jiri Slegr with Chris Tamer.

Hatcher's 19 goals and 48 points seem swell, but he could have easily had 25 or more goals if he asserted himself. Overall he had a good year, but more is still expected of him. He just seemed like a passenger on most nights. Meanwhile, Olausson had his usual steady season without garnering much attention.

Darius Kasparaitis by Meredith Martini

One guy who got plenty of attention was Kasparaitis. The wacky Lithuanian was real wizard, playing solid defense while busting heads with his standard array of bone-crushing checks. His late season knockout of Eric Lindros has already reached folklore status. The team's new defensive approach actually freed up Kasparaitis to hit more, since he knew he'd be insulated by the forwards if he stepped up to belt somebody. And with Darius busy making friends and influencing people, Werenka just had to concentrate on staying back and playing safe. It's something he did quite well, leading all Penguin defenseman with a +15.

Slegr had a rather up and down season. After getting off to a pretty good start, the coaching staff seemed to lose faith in him and he was actually a healthy scratch. But then Slegr had a brilliant showing at the Olympics and returned to play some quality hockey the rest of the way. While Slegr was willing to drop the gloves this season, Tamer remained the club's only true fighter. Tamer's 181 penalty minutes led the club.

In the end, Pittsburgh's first-round playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens was a huge disappointment, but it's hard not to be amazed by the club's progress. For the first time in years the Penguins actually showed some character and heart on the ice. They put in a full 60 minutes of work each time out. There's still a long way to go before the Pens are legitimate Cup contenders again, but Constantine set the foundation for success this season.

TEAM MVP: This is a really tough call. Jagr was obviously huge with his 102 points and Barrasso carried the team early, but all in all I gotta go with Ron Francis. He was in the lineup every night and led the team beautifully through the growing pains it experienced this season. Without his leadership, the Penguins never would have been able to orchestrate their turnaround.

SURPRISES: There were plenty. First up has to be the return to form of Tom Barrasso. Second is the rebirth of "Downtown" Robby Brown as a defensive forward. Then throw in the unexpected contributions from Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Brad Werenka, and Jiri Slegr. That's a whole mess of surprises. The season was like one big O. Henry story. Except, you know, the ending sucked...

DISAPPOINTMENT: Eddie Olczyk was being counted on to provide some goals and just didn't deliver. He ended up with 11 goals and 22 points in 56 games, but most of those goals came during a seven-game scoring binge early in the season. I hate to bring it up, but I said it was a mistake when Patrick traded Glen Murray for Olczyk at the end of last season. I guess I could gloat and say "I told you so...", but I'm not going to do that. Instead I'm going to sing it to the tune of "Camptown Races." Ahem. Patrick made a mistake in trading Murray. I told you so, I told you so. Oh, Patrick made a mistake in trading Murray. I told you so-o-o. I told you so all day. I told you so all night. Patrick made a mistake in trading Murray. Oh, I told you so.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Patrick has already started dealing. Fearing he'd lose Kenny Wregget in the expansion draft for nothing, Patrick sent the veteran netminder to Calgary in exchange for German Titov. That's a nice deal. Titov will be 33 in October, but he's a cool guy that can play all three forward positions. He's a nice addition.

Patrick made a second deal with the Flames, swapping minor- leaguers Dave Roche and Todd Hlushko. Roche is a good kid that will drop the gloves, but I can only recall him winning one fight as a Penguin and that came after he sucker punched Igor Ulanov. And he just isn't a good enough skater to compete at the NHL level. Hlushko has the skills to contribute and is coming off a strong playoff run with Saint John of the AHL, but he's had problems with concussions in the past.

Patrick also dealt the rights to restricted free agent holdout Josef Beranek to the Edmonton Oilers for Tony Hrkac and Bobby Dollas. Hrkac's time as a Penguin was brief, as he was selected by Nashville in the expansion draft. Dollas, 33, should provide some veteran depth along the blue line next season. He's a pretty good pickup, especially since Beranek was doing a whole lot of nothing.

Rumors persist that Patrick is close to finally trading Petr Nedved, but the GM isn't letting on. He still says that the Pens would like to re-sign him. Um, that's doubtful. Look for Nedved to get moved at some point during the off-season.

Patrick's main concern this summer, tho', is signing free agents. The most important of which is Ron Francis, who is unrestricted and in serious danger of leaving town. Patrick has said recently that the Penguins, who are a bit strapped for cash, would be willing to re-sign Francis for something in the neighborhood of $4 million a year. If the market goes above that, the Birds are in trouble. It's impossible to think of the Penguins without Francis. But this is Ronnie's last chance to cash in and he deserves all the money he can get. He's been underpaid for a very long time. Unfortunately, if he goes, the Penguins are beat. They were scrap before he arrived, and they'll be scrap after he's gone. If it were up to me I'd ditch Kevin Hatcher on the first sucker to come along and put the money saved towards Francis. Hatcher has been a disappointment as a Penguin and isn't worth having around if it means there isn't enough money to keep Francis.

Stu Barnes is also a free agent, but one of the restricted variety. Other prominent unrestricted free agents include Alex Hicks, Andreas Johansson, Garry Valk, Fredrik Olausson, Ed Olczyk, and Rob Brown. Hicks became unrestricted when the Pens failed to make him a qualifying offer. It's a move that came as quite a surprise. Hicks has been a terrific role player for the club since arriving last season from Anaheim. It'll be a shame to see him move. It would also be nice to see Olausson come back, but there just might not be enough money to go around. Of all the unrestricted guys, Brown is the only one expected to return.

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