That's Four

AP Photo

That's four the hard way.

It wasn't always pretty, it was somewhat maddening (Like when that 2-0 lead was erased three minutes into the third period), but it's all good in the end. Marian Hossa scores a pair, including the game-winner in overtime, and the Penguins take the series four games to one.

I think Ron Cook needs a new column tomorrow.

When the Penguins acquired Hossa from Atlanta at the end of February, critics of the deal questioned what it would do to the Penguins' team chemistry (answer: Nothing) and how Marian Hossa, a perceived playoff underachiever, would perform in the NHL's second season. And that doesn't even get into the questions of whether or not the Penguins can re-sign him. I suppose that's a legitimate concern, but the first two are, and always were, bogus.

Hossa, with his two goals today, now has five goals so far in the playoffs, and has been perhaps the Penguins best all-around forward.

His first goal today came after a brilliant individual play where he kept the puck alive in the offensive zone with a diving effort at the blue line. It looked as if the puck were going to slowly roll out of the zone, forcing the Penguins to regroup, when he sprawled to the ice, maintaining possession, allowing Sidney Crosby and Ryan Malone to make a series of tic-tac-toe passes to set up Hossa for the one-timer.

I think it's worked out just fine.