HSBC Arena, Buffalo. Late afternoon, early evening. The Penguins, having lost two games in a row for the first time since mid-December, needed a win badly.

They got it. Oh, they got it.

But let me tell you this. The team is an offensive machine that I think has a chance to make some serious noise in the playoffs, but if the team plays like it did yesterday, it might not even win one game in the first round.

Remember last year? Game 1 against Ottawa? The Penguins started slow, the Senators took it to them physically, and set the tone for the rest of the series.

That being said, it appears that Sidney Crosby may be back earlier than we expected. Gary Roberts should be back in the fold, too.

That Roberts injury actually worked out in the Penguins favor in a way. The Penguins could have used him in the line up due to various hard core injury walrus problems, but since they’ve held the fort without him, he’ll be ready come March to eat people alive in the most important games during the end of the season and the playoffs. To eat people alive. I said it. Gary Roberts will own some chump the first game he comes back. Fights, goals, huge dirty hits, slew feet, and stick work that’ll make your grandmother cheer and remember the good old days.

Jagr. Deal or no deal?

There has been a lot of talk about the New York Rangers looking to deal Jagr. His numbers have dropped in a big way. In 2005-06, Jagr had 54 goals and 123 total points. Last season, he put up 96 points, scoring 30 goals. This year, well, he’s palyed 61 games and has 15 goals and 49 total points.

If this were any other player, I would say that the wheels had just fallen off. Jagr, who just turned 36 on Feb. 15, is in the twilight of his career. For most players, this would signify that he’s just too old, that his arsenal of weapons had diminished. It happened to all the greats. Bryan Trottier’s offensive prowess was all but gone when he joined the Penguins in the summer of 1990. It fell off for Wayne, too. Mario, well, he was hurt all through his career. He could’ve won the scoring title in 02-03, he had 91 points at 37 years old. During that season, by December, he had more assists than anyone else in the league had points. Unfortunately, the Injury Walrus reared its ugly head and the Pens traded Kovalev, and the title went to Peter Forsberg.

Anyway, with Jagr and his violent mood swings, he could simply just not be happy. It’s happened before. It would be a huge gamble, his mood swings could cause great harm to the locker room chemistry, and I doubt he’d get along in the long term with coach Michel Therrien, but for the short term it would be a good gamble for the Penguins. A change of scenery could spark Jagr in the short term just in time for the playoffs.

No doubt, Jagr for right now, would be the winger of Crosby’s dreams when Sid came back. It would allow for Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal to center their own lines, which is where they belong, and give the team a three center combo that no other team in the league could match. Think about the line combos:

Malone-Crosby-Jagr

Talbot-Malkin-Sykora

Roberts-Staal-Armstrong

Ruutu-Kennedy/Christensen-Taffe/Laraque

-This is not taking into account who the Pens would trade for Jagr, but that is one solid line-up. Period.

I doubt this deal will happen. The Rangers, knowing that they are dealing a premiere talent, would not want to deal him within their division, fearing a spark that could knock them out of contention. Ray Shero also does not seem willing, at this point, to make a blockbuster type deal and blow the wad before this team is ready to win. See Atlanta, last season.