Lemieux Pointless, but So Are Ducks

We interrupt Mario Lemieux’s spectacular return to the NHL after a 3 1/2-year retirement to bring you this bulletin:

Mario Lemieux is human.

“At least I think so,” said Craig Patrick, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager.

Everything Lemieux did in the first two weeks of his comeback argued otherwise.

In a league whose players have grown swifter and bigger in the brief time he was away, Lemieux averaged more than a goal a game and more than two points a game in his first eight games, collecting nine goals and 19 points. At times, he resembled the Lemieux who won six scoring titles and almost single-handedly kept the Penguins alive competitively before he retreated to the management suite and kept them alive financially by organizing the group that purchased and rescued them from bankruptcy.

Until Monday.

For the first time since the jersey with the familiar No. 66 was lowered from the rafters of Mellon Arena and settled onto his broad shoulders Dec. 27, Lemieux did not record a point. That the Penguins’ 3-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks was his third game in less than four days, fifth in eight days and ninth in 20 probably had more to do with that than anything the Ducks did; Lemieux took merely two shots and wasn’t on the ice in the final minute to capitalize on the empty net after the Ducks replaced goaltender Guy Hebert with an extra skater.

“He’s like anybody else,” said Patrick, who--at least nominally--ranks above Lemieux the player but reports to Lemieux the owner.

“You see anybody play five games in eight nights, they’re going to slip a little. Mario came back and played on adrenaline. It think he’s plateaued now and it might take a few weeks before he gets it really going again.”

Of course, Lemieux at half speed is better than 95% of the NHL’s best at their best. And he believes he hasn’t approached what he’s capable of doing, even at 35 and with a chronically sore back that needs careful attention.

Wait until his timing returns and he feels ready to take more faceoffs. Wait until he feels confident enough to unleash a few of his old, wicked wrist shots, instead of tapping in short passes or rebounds around the net.

“It’s only been a couple of weeks,” he said, smiling. “Give me a chance.”

He had few scoring chances Monday, perhaps lacking the energy and legs to fight off checks. He also was adjusting to new linemates. He had played the left side with Jiri Hrdina and Jaromir Jagr, but Kevin Stevens took Hrdina’s spot Monday. The Penguins reacquired Stevens in hopes that he and Lemieux can rekindle the magic they generated during the team’s 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup championships, but neither did much Monday.

Lemieux had his best chance in the third period, when Jagr slid a pass to him on the left side only to have Duck defenseman Pavel Trnka tie him up and prevent him from getting his stick down. It didn’t cost the Penguins the victory, but it cost him his scoring streak--although he feigned ignorance when that was mentioned.

“I didn’t get any today?” he asked, adding a wink. “We had a couple of chances on the power play but not too many shots on net. This is one of those games you’re just trying to get two points.

“It’s tough to get points out there. Teams are all playing good systems, defense first, and there’s not much room, especially in the neutral zone. We have to figure a way to stretch it out.”

He is not the same player who exited in 1997 with a scoring title and a deep weariness in his soul.

He’s more affable and willing to reveal thoughts he once shielded behind a stoic demeanor. He invited TV crews and writers to his sprawling home in the Pittsburgh suburbs, patiently submitting to interviews and promoting the team in ways he never did before. He’s more willing to laugh, at the game and at himself, happy to be back in the milieu in which he always felt most at home.

“His attitude has been, ‘I’m going to come back and be the best player in the league,’ and he has been,” said former Penguin and King Ed Olczyk, a TV commentator in Pittsburgh. “His hands are there. The question mark is his legs. I think it will take another five games to get it all back. He’s just been phenomenal, but I think we’ll really be able to judge and see where he is in a month, after he goes through some travel.”

Since his return, Lemieux has played six home games and only three on the road, although that cushy schedule changes this week with a trip to Phoenix, Dallas and Chicago. On the road, he stays in a regular hotel room, not a suite. He rides the team bus to the arena except for the days he gets antsy and takes a cab to the rink early, as many players do, to fuss with his sticks and just hang around and be one of the guys.

“He’s been a huge asset for us,” Patrick said.

And if his return also has enhanced the financial value of his hockey assets, what’s wrong with that?

There was a buzz at Mellon Arena on Monday, as there has been at every game in every city since he returned. In the first week after his comeback was rumored and then confirmed, the Penguins sold 50,000 tickets; Monday’s game was their sixth consecutive sellout, including several games that normally would not have drawn overflow crowds. All three road games also were sellouts, at Boston, Washington and Long Island--notable for their inability to fill seats.

“It’s great for the game, and obviously great for our organization,” Lemieux said. “The fan support is back. It’s very exciting, especially on the road.”

He’s also responsible for a huge jump in ESPN’s ratings. Its first 38 telecasts averaged 159,719 households and 200,520 viewers; its telecasts of Lemieux’s first five games averaged 266,393 households and 467,622 viewers, increases of 66.8% and 133.2%, respectively.

Imagine what will happen when he rounds into shape.

“I still have to feel my way around and get a feel for the game,” he said. “I knew it was going to take some time. It’s not going to happen overnight.”