Saturday, September 27, 2003

On my talk show recently, I solicited suggestions concerning Mario Lemieux's linemates for this season. The first caller, who identified himself as being from Pittsburgh, quickly established that he was living in the past. Which means identifying himself as a Pittsburgher was unnecessary.

"I think he should play with Mark Recchi and Phil Bourque," the caller said.

Mark Recchi, now with Philadelphia, last played with the Penguins in February 1992. He often skated on Lemieux's line. To my knowledge, Bourque never did. He left the Penguins after the 1991-92 season and is now the club's radio color commentator. When Bourque departed, the Stanley Cups stopped coming. Coincidence? Yes.

When presented with the unavailability of Recchi and Bourque, the caller was asked for more current alternatives. "Uh, they don't have anybody," he opined.

I knew he'd get it right if I gave him long enough.

The Penguins have several interesting choices for Lemieux linemates, but few obvious ones.

Lemieux used to be able to drastically lift the performance of those who skated on his line, and that's still true to a lesser degree. But, at 37, Lemieux needs partners, not proteges, and he finds himself on a youthful roster filled with many potential proteges and few proven partners.

Compounding the decision-making process is Lemieux's oft-stated preference for speed on his wings when it seems like players with hands might be able to aid him more. A fast guy can chase the puck for Lemieux and create gaps for him to exploit, but, if he lacks skill, he's going to drive Mario crazy by missing opportunities.

Konstantin Koltsov, who was scheduled to play on Lemieux's line last night, is the fastest skater on the Penguins. Koltsov, 22, might be the fastest skater in the NHL. But he can't finish. The former first-round pick had only nine goals in 65 games with the Penguins' Wilkes-Barre/Scranton minor-league team last season.

True, Koltsov wasn't playing on a line with Lemieux at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. But he wasn't trying to score on Martin Brodeur, either.

Martin Straka, Lemieux's other scheduled linemate last night, is the safest bet to start the regular season on Mario's flank. When he's not being bent in half in a weightlifting mishap, Straka has speed to burn, good defensive skills, and 430 points in 538 games as a Penguin speak well for his hands.

Aleksey Morozov seems the other best pick to play alongside Lemieux. Morozov had 25 points in 27 games last season before his wrist was fractured and he missed the rest of the campaign. Most of those points came hooking up with Lemieux.

Morozov has decent wheels, good hands and does a solid job anticipating what Lemieux will do next, which isn't always easy. Sometimes, you've just got to get your stick on the ice near the net and let Lemieux bounce the puck off it, and Morozov is adept at that. He also hasn't proven he can produce playing with anyone besides Lemieux, and the Penguins need Morozov to produce.

Straka and Morozov would be my choices. But don't be surprised if Lemieux's addiction to speed sees him start the season between Straka and Koltsov.

A look back at Lemieux's linemates is amusing, although probably not to him. He probably still has nightmares about bums like Lee Giffin and Steve Gatzos.

Mario's two best linemates were Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet, with whom he skated from 1992-94. Stevens and Tocchet were a couple of big, tough battleships with good hands and excellent instincts. Their collective physical nature created more room for Mario, and their touch around the net converted the opportunities Lemieux provided time and time again.

The two big success stories were Warren Young and Rob Brown.

As a 19-year-old rookie, Lemieux helped Young, a 28-year-old rookie, score 40 goals in 1984-85. Young promptly signed a big-money free-agent contract with Detroit, then scored 32 goals the rest of his NHL career.

Brown, the Penguins' fourth-round pick in 1986, skated as if his legs were chained together. So much for the need for speed. But Brown was able to think the game at Lemieux's level, probably like no one before or since. That unique ability allowed him to compile 49 goals and 66 assists in 1988-89. That season was also Lemieux's most productive as he had 85 goals and 114 assists skating with Brown and Bob Errey, neither of whom ever got confused with Jari Kurri.

So who should be Lemieux's linemates in his 16th NHL season?

Uh, they don't have anybody.

Unfortunately, that's not far from the truth.

Mark Madden is the host of a sports talk show from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays on WEAE-AM (1250).

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