Jagr future cloudy

May 4, 2008   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

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He skated off the ice which once was home in the Steel City. One time as a teenager, Jaromir Jagr teamed up with Mario Lemieux to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. No.66 and No.68 couldn’t be stopped during those special days bringing the franchise their only two championships. Back then, the talented Czech with the long flowing hair not only owned the puck and the game but the place as well.

Back in 1992, it was Jagr who scored on a penalty shot beating John Vanbiesbrouck. The defining moment came ironically enough at Madison Square Garden breaking Ranger fan hearts. The Pens would win the series in six and repeat. Four years later, it was the same No.68 who worked magic with No.66 taking apart the Rangers in another second round this time prevailing in five before bowing out to the Panthers.

It was also Jagr who ended Wayne Gretzky’s career with an amazing overtime goal in which he fought off three Rangers before ripping home the winner at MSG.

When he and the comebacking Super Mario came up short against the Devils in the 2001 Conference Final, it was the last game he’d play in a Penguin uniform. Mario, who owned the franchise at the time couldn’t afford to keep Jagr. So, he was dealt to the Washington Capitals for unheralded prospects who never panned out. Unless you count frequent scratch Kris Beech, who is like on his third tour of duty as a Pen.

Jagr didn’t want the Caps instead desiring to play on the biggest stage in New York City for the New York Rangers. Not surprisingly, an unmotivated and unhappy right wing who already was hated by Washington fans for ripping their hearts out in prior series never performed to the lofty expectations. That Ted Leonsis gave him a ridiculous contract extension (then NHL record 7 years, 77 million) before he even set foot in a Cap uniform was a huge mistake.

Jagr was brutal in his first season in D.C. with a veteran team missing the postseason. Though he bounced back in year two (2002-03) to lead the Caps back to the playoffs, they were once again ousted by the Tampa Bay Lightning with Jagr silenced in the series. Even more humiliating was that they took the first two games on the road only to drop the next four including a crushing triple overtime defeat on home ice.

With Leonsis losing money in 2003-04, they unloaded Jagr finally sending him to Broadway in exchange for original Cap Anson Carter. Sadly, that was all they could get in return due to not much of a market for Jagr’s contract. He was making $11 million-per-year and not playing up to potential. With the impending lockout approaching, it was understandable why there weren’t many suitors. In fact, the Caps agreed to pay four million on average while the superstar also agreed to defer a million bucks on average with interest until the contract expired.

Ranger GM Glen Sather didn’t care. Neither did Garden CEO Jim Dolan. They finally had the player they coveted. Even if the 2003-04 Rangers stunk missing the playoffs for a franchise worst seventh consecutive season, they had a guy who could bring fans back.

Following the lockout, Jagr guaranteed that the struggling Original Six franchise would qualify for the playoffs. Not surprisingly, the Rangers had been picked by many to finish at or near the bottom of the 30 team league. Why would a full year away change anything?

Little did anyone know just how motivated Jagr was. With Mark Messier finally retired, the former 1990 fifth overall pick played his best hockey in several years making even Ranger fans believers again. Playing mostly with Czech buddy and complementary former Pen linemate Martin Straka along with playmaking Swedish pivot Michael Nylander, Jagr flourished breaking several franchise marks including Adam Graves’ 1993-94 regular season record 52 goals with 54. The 123 points (54-69-123) also were a regular season record for most by a Ranger as were the 24 power play goals he scored. It was the most points he tallied since 2000-01 when he topped the league with 121 for a fifth Art Ross.

Jagr finished second behind only San Jose’s Joe Thornton for the league scoring lead. Thornton bested him with 125 and edged Jagr out for the Hart Trophy even though the rejuvenated Ranger’s peers voted him as Player of The Year (Lester B. Pearson). Many observers felt he deserved to win his second Hart for taking a team nobody had close to the playoffs back to their first Spring of meaningful hockey since 1996-97.

With the team fizzling down the stretch due to a hip flexor to rookie goalie Henrik Lundqvist, Jagr and the Rangers were swept out of the opening round by the archrival Devils. Adding further insult, he injured himself trying to punch Scott Gomez late in Game One. Having relied on him all season, the thin Blueshirts dropped the next couple of games before a gutsy Jagr dressed for Game Four only to be KO’d by a clean check into the boards. Even with him being helped off the ice, a supportive Garden crowd gave him a rousing ovation.

The team added veteran Brendan Shanahan along with center Matt Cullen from Cup winner Carolina to provide Jagr offensive support for 2006-07. Though his offensive totals dropped to 96 points, he still hit the 30-goal mark for an NHL record 15th consecutive season dating back to his second pro season with the 1991-92 Pens.

Despite not even being in playoff position as late as February, Jagr and an unconscious Lundqvist played their best hockey the final six weeks to finish with 94 points and qualify for a second straight postseason as a dangerous sixth seed. With Jagr elevating his level and a team which experienced a brutal defeat one year prior, the Rangers turned the tables sweeping out the Atlanta Thrashers to easily advance to a Conference Semifinal match-up against the President’s Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres.

After dropping two tough games in Buffalo, the Rangers rallied to tie the series. It was late in Game Five when a seeing eye Straka shot inside the blueline eluded Sabre goalie Ryan Miller giving them a 1-0 lead. With the clock winding down, it looked like they would steal the pivotal game and go back to The Garden with a chance to wrap up the series. Instead, Chris Drury found just enough space to find a rebound and tie it with 7.7 seconds remaining. The exact amount Devil Valerie Zelepukin had when he forced sudden death in the 1994 Conference Final Game Seven before Stephane Matteau rescued the Blueshirts with a wraparound past Martin Brodeur in double overtime.

Unfortunately, this time the hockey Gods worked against the hockey club. Maxim Afinogenov’s power play winner early in sudden death lifted the Sabres to a 2-1 win and 3-2 series lead. In a highscoring affair, Buffalo held on for a one-goal win to clinch the exciting series in six games. Supportive Ranger fans still cheered their team serenading them with traditional, “Let’s Go Rangers” chants.

In his third full season on Broadway, the Rangers’ 24th team captain was expected to lead an upgraded team which included key free agent additions Drury and Gomez deep into the postseason possibly bringing a fifth Cup back to the Canyon of Heroes. Instead, he and the team got off to another slow start. With Jagr unable to mesh with either center, he began receiving heavy criticism. Was the team better off without him? Oddly enough, coach Tom Renney discovered that playing him with promising rookie Brandon Dubinsky worked better helping balance out the team’s scoring.

Still, Jagr went long stretches without scoring. But when his team needed it most, he got hot down the stretch to finish with 25 goals and 71 points, tying with Drury for the club lead in goals and edging Gomez for the lead in scoring. Could he turn it up a notch and lead a low scoring team deep into the Spring? That question was answered quickly as a dominant No.68 emerged destroying the Devils for eight points (2-6-8) including a goal and two helpers to eliminate New Jersey, avenging a first round defeat two postseasons ago.

Jagr was now facing his ex-team where he had his greatest success. With the Pens boasting dynamic young duo Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, they had a new exciting version of Mario and Jagr except with different numbers (71 and 87) creating puck wizardry. If that wasn’t enough, they also had Marian Hossa.

Still, Jagr and the Rangers came out and got the first three goals of the series but the Pens answered with four straight. Though a Jagr setup tied Game One at four, a debatable call resulted in Malkin’s decider to give the Pens first blood. A great defensive effort and a nifty Malkin setup for Ryan Malone was all Pittsburgh needed to put the Blueshirts in an 0-2 hole.

Despite a great effort from Jagr in Game Three at MSG in which he assisted on a goal and tied the game at three, the Pens got the last two against an unsteady Lundqvist putting them down 0-3 in a series many expected to go six or seven.

Facing the prospect of a sweep on home ice, Jagr and Lundqvist wouldn’t allow it with No.68 turning back the clock for a magical goal in which Brooks Orpik laid him out. He got up to loud cheers and fans chanting his name. With Lundqvist stoning Malone shorthanded and denying Malkin on a penalty shot along with Jagr dominating every shift setting up a Dubinsky power play goal and netting the empty netter with 18 seconds left, the Rangers shutout the Pens 3-0 making fans believe they actually could become the first NHL team in 33 years to bounceback from an 0-3 deficit.

The 1975 New York Islanders had comeback to beat the Penguins. Could another New York team victimize Pittsburgh. Despite a valiant third period effort rallying from two goals down while Jagr was checked tightly without a shot on goal, it wasn’t to be as Hossa notched the series clincher at 7:10 of sudden death.

When it was over, the big question being asked was that the final time the brilliant Jagr would skate in the NHL. Surrounded by reporters, No.68 fielded questions indicating that he would play again but wasn’t sure where. The seriousness in his tone and kind of somber expression made it seem that it just might’ve been Jagr’s final NHL game. If it really was, maybe it was symbolic as he spent many nights being cheered by the same fans who mercifully booed him every shift.

Interestingly enough, Jagr is one point shy of career point No.1,600. In 1,273 career regular season games, he has totaled 646 goals and 953 assists for 1,599 points. Even more special was that the 36 year-old in the twilight of his career was leading the playoffs with 15 points (5-10-15) in just 10 games despite not adding to that total earlier today. Counting this year’s output, Jagr has registered 77 goals and 104 assists for 181 points in 169 postseason games.

Now, the much misunderstood Czech who has been one of the game’s greatest players gets to decide his future. Will he go back home or possibly re-up with Avangard OMSK in Russia as has been rumored? If Jagr does return to play for the Rangers, he’ll do so knowing that the Rangers’ first two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning will be in his home country. That could be appealing. Is that enough along with the prospect of taking another run at a third Cup?

The forecast remains cloudy.