NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS : Coffey Break Is Finally Over for Penguins

The call came to the Coffey residence Friday afternoon around 3. On the other end was Bob Johnson, coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Can you play?” Johnson asked Paul Coffey, his veteran defenseman and the mastermind on ice of the Pittsburgh power play.

Can he play ? That’s all Coffey has been asking--pleading, cajoling, insisting, hoping--for over the past few weeks. He has been in Johnson’s face with the same diligence he generally reserves for opposing forwards.

Until Friday, it got him nowhere.

But in response to Johnson’s question, Coffey simply replied, “You know how I feel.”

Five hours later, he felt great when he skated onto the ice in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. Coffey played only on the power play, but he provided an emotional lift that helped propel the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota North Stars to even the best-of-seven series at 1-1.

Game 3 will be played at 5 PDT tonight at Met Center.

It has been a rough postseason for Coffey, a defenseman with record-setting offensive numbers over an 11-year career that has included three Stanley Cup rings with the Edmonton Oilers.

Against the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the playoffs, Coffey suffered a scratched cornea, but missed only two games.

Then, in the division finals against the Washington Capitals, he fractured his jaw on April 19.

Originally, it was estimated Coffey would be out four to six weeks and probably had put his skates on for the last time this season.

Friday was four weeks.

But Coffey began pushing to return 10 days ago in the conference finals against the Boston Bruins. Johnson and Pittsburgh General Manager Craig Patrick wouldn’t consider it.

“They made the right decision,” Coffey conceded Friday. “They were thinking long term.”

But by the start of the finals Wednesday, Coffey was back in Johnson’s office. Again, the answer was not yet.

So what changed between Games 1 and 2? Not the medical report. Coffey played without any dramatic progress. Not his jaw. It’s still fractured.

Asked that question Friday, Coffey admitted he didn’t know what had changed.

Officially, the Penguins are saying that the healing process had reached a point where limited play was possible.

Perhaps. But one NHL source confided that the Penguins had no intention of putting Coffey back in while they were playing so well, that his offensive-minded style didn’t mesh with their new defensive-minded outlook. It was only when Pittsburgh went one for eight on the power play in Game 1 that the Penguins decided Coffey was sufficiently healed.

Even with Coffey, the numbers didn’t change. Again, in Game 2, Pittsburgh was one for eight on the power play.

Still, Coffey is thrilled to be back and happy he survived Friday night with no further damage.

Wearing a full face mask for protection can be awkward. And getting ice time only on the power play for the immediate future will be frustrating.

But it sure beats sitting around the house on game day.

After talking to Penguin officials earlier this week about the possibility of purchasing the club, Edmonton businessman Bill Comrie has issued a statement saying, “At this time, I have no interest in buying the Pittsburgh Penguins or any other NHL team.”

Penguin official Paul Martha conceded that talks have taken place over the possible sale of the club by owner Edward DeBartolo Sr., but insisted DeBartolo is not actively seeking a buyer.