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PHILADELPHIA -– Among the various conventional wisdoms held near and dear by the great sages of hockey is that the most lasting reputations are made in the playoffs.
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| Marian Hossa has eight goals and seven assists in 12 playoff games with the Penguins. (Getty Images) |
The criticisms haven't always been fair, but Hossa still has had to deal with them.
"Look, I know I've had some bad playoffs in the past, but I've had some good ones too and people still say the same things about me," Hossa said. "I can't control what people think so I don't worry about it too much, I'm just trying to do my best and help my team win. Everything else will take care of itself."
That seems to be the case these days because with his first chance at a Stanley Cup Finals appearance just one win away, Hossa is rapidly changing the impression about him by playing a leading role in his team's remarkable run so far.
Lining up alongside center Sidney Crosby, Hossa is tied for the team lead with eight playoff goals, including three game winners. It's not just his production that is making converts, but surprisingly it's his defensive contributions on a team that is surging mainly because of its ability to shut opponents down.
In fact some of his most memorable moments in these playoffs have not been near the other team's net, but in his own zone.
"He's one of the better guys to pick pocket someone," said his other linemate Pascal Dupuis. "He's fast and has a quick stick defensively and he'll do little things to win games like blocking shots or being in the lanes to cut off passes. He's really a complete player."
Hossa, who was acquired in one of those rare deadline deals that has actually paid dividends, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and will likely be looking for an annual salary in excess of $7 million. That's probably fair-market value for a player of his caliber, but it still might be unaffordable under the salary cap for the Penguins who will need to re-sign key young players Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik after this season and Evgeni Malkin after next year.
"I'm not worrying about that now," Hossa said. "I just want to concentrate on what we have going here now."
Especially since it has been so unexpected for him.
Hossa began his career with the Ottawa Senators, a team that was a perennial regular-season powerhouse with a habit of flopping in the playoffs, and was traded to Atlanta after the lockout. There the shine of two very productive regular seasons faded for him when the Thrashers were swept by the Rangers in their first playoff appearance last spring.
Although he managed just one assist in that playoff series, Hossa wasn't necessarily cast as the villain in a pressure-less market like Atlanta, but in the aftermath, he made it clear he was unhappy with the organization by rebuffing several of its attempts to get him to sign a contract extension.
With unrestricted free agency pending this summer, it was inevitable the Thrashers would trade him by the deadline, and as the 11th hour approached, the only question seemed to be whether it would be to the Senators or the Montreal Canadiens.
"Those are the teams everyone kept talking about and then with a few minutes left I was hearing Pittsburgh," Hossa said. "I'm just glad it happened because when I looked at this roster I realized this was a special group and I got really excited."
Still Hossa had to temper the enthusiasm because he injured his right knee in his Pittsburgh debut and had to sit out six games. At the same time, his intended linemate Crosby was still on the shelf because of a high ankle sprain. By the time the duo returned there was little time to develop much chemistry before the playoffs began.
Even in a first-round sweep over the Senators they looked like a work in progress because Hossa managed to score just one goal despite several great set-ups from the team captain, which provided fodder for his many nay-sayers. However, by the time the next round began against the Rangers, the two found their comfort zone and Hossa started hitting the back of the net with more regularity and at the same time, silencing his critics.
"You know what, sometimes it can be the fit," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "A player will fit well on a team depending on how they play and their system, if they have the speed players to play with. I really believe that a guy like Hossa is in the right fit for him.
"He always has been a little bit criticized about his playoff performance in the past, but right now he's playing his best hockey in his career in the playoffs."
