Sunday, March 16th, 2008 by Adam Wagner
One superstar returns . . .
The Penguins’ game on February 28th had the potential to be one of the most important in the history of the franchise. Ray Shero had just traded four separate parts for, essentially, star winger Marian Hossa. The game quickly proved to be one of the most disappointing in franchise history as Hossa sprained his knee early in the second period and the Penguins were blown out by the Boston Bruins, making the trade suddenly seem to be a letdown. Today, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Hossa will finally make his return to the lineup.
The only problem with this scenario is that Hossa was brought in to play on superstar Sidney Crosby’s wing. Since the trade occurred, Crosby has aggravated the right ankle sprain that kept him out of action for six weeks prior to the trade, meaning that Hossa is likely going to play on a line with Jordan Staal and fellow ex-Thrasher Pascal Dupuis, who has proven to be a solid addition in and of himself.
It is worth noting that even without Hossa the Pegnuins have maintained a very high level of play indicating that this team could be on its way to something special if they can ever keep everyone healthy at the same time. Since the trade occurred, the Penguins have received scoring from unexpected sources and awesome goaltending from enigmatic youngster Marc-Andre Fleury. They have also revealed a propensity to be ridiculously inconsitent, something having a star winger may help prevent.
Whatever occurs, Hossa wil not stand in the way of success and could create opportunities for players such as Stall, who is a garbage goal-scorer often forced to play on lines without natural shooters, something that Hossa has no problem doing. Ray Shero’s decision to make the
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