It seems like a write a feature on the Pittsburgh Penguins every other issue. But I'm sure that it is in no way a reflection on our Pittsburgh Correspondent. Honest. Anyway...

The Penguins were back in the news recently when they rattled off a headline-grabbing 10-game winning streak. And it was a significant ten spot, featuring some of the most exciting displays of offensive hockey since the NHL's Golden Year of 1992- 93.

With the brilliance of Jaromir Jagr leading the way, the Arctic Birds waddled their way to 45 goals during the streak. The Czech Wonder Kid clicked for 10 goals and 26 points while playing at a +13. That's quality. The binge pushed him all the way to the top of the league scoring race, where he still sits with 27 goals and 87 points in 56 games.

Forget about the points, the best part of the streak was seeing Jagr develop into a true captain. Whenever the team needed a spark, whether on the ice or in the room, Jaromir delivered.

On February 2, the Penguins found themselves trailing Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in the third period. Jagr stood up on the bench and told his teammates that they weren't going to lose. He then went out and set up the tying and winning goals before closing things out with an empty-netter.

Throughout the entire streak, Jagr displayed the ability to take over games at will. In a 3-2 win over Montreal on February 9, there were two shifts late in the third period where Jagr simply manhandled every Canadien defender on the ice. There was just nothing they could do to stop him. He wouldn't be denied. For a second it almost seemed as if the eight on the back of his jersey was a six. Thanks to his play during the streak, Jagr is now the man to beat for the Hart Trophy.

Kip Miller by Meredith Martini

Pittsburgh's winning ways coincided with Jagr being placed on a line with the always dangerous Kip Miller on the left side and Czech rookie Jan Hrdina in the middle. Feel free to laugh. That's what most everyone else did when coach Kevin Constantine wrote their numbers together on the chalkboard. But the trio's production was no laughing matter. Miller bagged nine goals and 17 points and was a +12. Hrdina notched three goals and 11 points of his own, while skating at a +9.

Other heroes during the ten-game tear included Alexei Kovalev (6- 6-12, +10), Jiri Slegr (1-7-8, +16), and Darius Kasparaitis (58 hits).

The streak began on January 28 with a 6-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Civic Arena. Boston, Montreal (twice), Buffalo, Florida, Detroit, Vancouver, Nashville, and Washington were likewise dispatched before the good times ended on February 17 in Long Island with a 3-1 loss to the Isles. It seems the Islanders are always doing something to screw things up. Not only did they knock the Birds out of the 1992-93 playoffs, but that same season saw them snap Mario Lemieux's 12-game goal- scoring streak. Why don't they just, like, knock if off?

The Isles never would have gotten a chance to act as spoiler had it not been for the Penguins pulling off an NHL record three consecutive overtime wins.

The first came on February 9 against the Canadiens. Montreal was 2:41 away from escaping with a 2-1 win when the man named Kip busted in on left wing and drilled a slap shot through the five- hole of Frederic Chabot to tie the game. The overtime proved to be equally dramatic. With only 29 ticks left on the clock, Kovalev somehow found himself all alone in front of the Montreal net with the puck. There wasn't a defender within ten feet of him. Not even realizing how much time he had, Kovalev fired a quick shot that slipped its way through Chabot for the winner. There was much rejoicing.

Two nights later the Vancouver Canucks came to town. This was a wide-open affair from the opening faceoff. The Pens battled back from two separate two-goal deficits to take a 5-4 lead, only to watch Todd Bertuzzi knot the score at 5-5 late in the third. At 1:21 of the overtime, Jagr decided to send the fans home happy. Jaromir took a pass from Miller off the right wing boards and darted into the high slot, pulling the puck sharply to his forehand in order to avoid a pokecheck from Mattias Ohlund. In the very same motion, and before Ohlund could recover, Jagr laced a perfectly placed wrist shot off the left wing post and behind a startled Corey Hirsch. It was number 68's second goal and third point of the evening.

On February 13, the Penguins found themselves in Nashville for their first ever meeting with the Predators. The streak appeared to be in some serious jeopardy when little Cliffy Ronning tied the score 2-2 at 19:00 of the third period. But it was no big thing. By this time the Birds weren't scared to play an extra five.

With three and a half minutes gone in the overtime, Jagr drew two defenders to him at center and somehow worked the puck free to Miller, sending him in on right wing on a two-on-one with Kovalev. Miller had a seam to make the pass, and if he gets it on Kovalev's stick it's a done deal, but he instead elected to take the shot himself. That's when I started to yell "You fu..." only to catch myself as the puck found the net, changing the initial "f" sound into a chant of "Firecracker, firecracker, shish boom bah! Bugs Bunny! Bugs Bunny! Rah, rah, rah!" I'm always thinking. There is no off position on the genius switch.

The streak lasted one more game, a 7-3 win at the Igloo over the Capitals. It was an overwhelming offensive display. Olaf Kolzig got pulled at 6:17 of the second period after allowing five goals on 14 shots. This may sound silly, but Kolzig actually played great. If not for Olie, the Pens could have easily had an eight or nine up in lights. They were just that dominant.

So how did the lowly Islanders, of all people, end the run? Well, Tommy Salo played a great game in net, stopping 20 of 21. Zdeno Chara was incredibly physical all night long, punishing the Penguin forwards with his 6'9" frame on every occasion. And, most importantly, the game was played away from the friendly confines of the Civic Arena. Eight of the ten wins during the streak came on home ice. The Penguins simply aren't the same team away from the Igloo.

Martin Straka by Meredith Martini

Pittsburgh's 19-5-5 home record is the best in the NHL. Conversely, they're a below .500 team on the road (12-13-2). That fact was established with two more losses upon leaving the Island. The first was a pathetic 6-1 clubbing by the Rangers, in which former Penguins Petr Nedved, Kevin Stevens, and Ulf Samuelsson each scored goals. Then came a 2-1 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia. The game was nowhere near as close as the score. Outside of a weak power-play goal from the point by Marty Straka early in the first period, the Birds could generate absolutely nothing in the way of offense against the bigger, stronger Flyers.

The Penguins returned home on February 21 to host the slumping Phoenix Coyotes and promptly ended their three-game slide with a 4-1 victory. The Pittsburgh cause was aided considerably by Nikolai Khabibulin, who gave up three extremely soft goals. How soft were they? If you poked them in the stomach they giggled. There's a joke in there somewhere. Happy hunting.

Following up the ten-game winning string with three straight road losses brings to mind the obvious question, exactly how good are the Penguins? Um, they're pretty good. Serious Cup contenders? Maybe. Entertaining as all hell? Sure.

No doubt, the Penguins have the most skilled team in the NHL. They're fun to watch. And they owe it all to one man. Alexei Kovalev. The guy is simply amazing with the puck. His hands are faster than Sugar Ray Robinson's. He's been playing the point on the power play for no other reason than that when he carries the puck up ice it's an automatic entry into the offensive zone. There's nothing the opposition can do. He just makes people look stupid. For as great as Jagr is, no one, and I mean no one, gets more gasps of astonishment from the fans in Pittsburgh than Kovalev. He's something special.

Kovalev's arrival has changed the team's entire philosophy. Last season the club won with solid team defense. Once Kovalev came to town and joined the likes of Jagr, Straka, Robert Lang, German Titov, and Stu Barnes, it was clear that it might be time for a change.

The Penguins had lost five of six before the streak began. It was after that fifth loss that Jagr held a meeting with the troops and decided it was time to open things up a bit. They wouldn't neglect their defensive responsibilities completely, but they would make a few sacrifices in that area in order to play to their strengths, which are passing, skating, puck control, and the ability to select the perfect wine for any meal.

Constantine and the rest of the coaching staff recognized that their roster had changed dramatically from the season before and allowed their talent to do what it does best. The result was 45 goals in ten games.

But then came the three road losses. To win on the road, a team needs to be patient. Unfortunately, patience isn't a virtue of many high-scoring teams, including this current version of the Penguins. An opportunity to make something happen on the rush isn't going to present itself each and every trip up ice. It's up to the players to make the proper read and get the puck deep when the defense is holding the line. But giving up on making the perfect play is a hard thing to do for such talented guys as Jagr, Kovalev, and friends. They're confident they can make something happen on every rush. This often leads to turnovers at the stripe and awfully long periods of frustration.

Hard work will be talent every time. But nothing beats talent that works hard. If the Penguins want to win they can't take shortcuts. When the situation calls for it, they're going to have to get the puck deep and compete in the corners. Eventually the defense will start to back up and give the line. That's when the natural creativity can take over. It's all about making the smart play.

When the Penguins try to play soft at home, and continually make mistakes at the opposing blue line, the fans get all over them and they eventually snap to their senses and get the puck deep. But there's no such wake-up call on the road. Constantine can only do so much. He can't sit the whole team. It's up to the players to sacrifice themselves for the cause and pay the price in the corners. If they don't have it in their heart than there's nothing the coach can do.

In the span of one year, the Penguins have gone from Fred Sanford's old pickup truck to Dave Starsky's flashy Ford Tarino. That's not an easy adjustment. It'll take some time.

There's been talk that the Penguins should add some more grit up front, making it easier for them to play a dump-and-chase style when needed. Barnes' name is heard most often as the one leaving town. But what's the point? Having one guy willing to play ugly isn't going to matter if the other eight forwards aren't going to share in the commitment.

Right now the club has three lines that can score; Miller-Hrdina- Jagr, Barnes-Straka-Kovalev, and Titov-Lang-Morozov. How many teams can say that? I just don't know if it's worth breaking that up in order to add a touch more grit. Unless the club's top talent is willing to pay the price, all the character role players in the world won't make a difference.

Brad Werenka by Meredith Martini

If Barnes does get moved, it will likely be for a defenseman. Buffalo's Mike Wilson is one possibility. The Penguins could definitely use the help along the blue line. Their top four of Kevin Hatcher, Jiri Slegr, Darius Kasparaitis, and Brad Werenka is steady. The problem's in the five and six spots. When healthy, Bobby Dollas has played well, but he's been banged up of late. Ian Moran and Maxim Galanov are the other two guys getting the most playing time. Moran is an excellent penalty killer and shot blocker that will do anything to help the team win. It's nice having him in the lineup. Galanov is, well, Russian. So that's pretty cool.

Of course, there's one other thing to consider when discussing possible personnel moves, and that's how the change will affect team chemistry. This Penguin squad is a pretty tight-knit bunch. And Barnes has always been popular with the fans. Trading him could be a huge mistake, just ask the Florida Panthers.

As it stands, the Penguins have three dangerous scoring lines, four solid defensemen, and a proven winner in net in Tom Barrasso. They're also the most exciting team in hockey. And oh yeah, they've got the fifth most points in the NHL, boasting a record of 31-18-7. Is there really a reason to complain?

Darius Kasparaitis by Meredith Martini

I say just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. It's not often that fans have the chance to witness a team that features the likes of Jagr's individual dominance, Kovalev's remarkable creativity, Straka's exhilarating speed, and Kasparaitis' bone- rattling checks. That's a lot of entertainment. And you don't even have to leave a tip when you're done.

I don't even know what that means. I just wasn't sure how to end the story. Here are a few other closing lines to choose from. Just pick the one you like and go nuts.

"And it won't even poison your liver."

"And you don't even need a handful of dollar bills to enjoy it."

"And you don't even need a blood test afterwards."

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