Those who are troubled by Cherry's commentary have a few foolproof ways to avoid it when they're watching the otherwise-excellent HNIC broadcasts: When his segment begins, change the channel, turn off the TV or leave the room. Personal experience has proven that they all work.

Scott Burnside
"It's easy to get seduced by Brodeur's historic performances and the concept that Luongo is the best goalie in the world, but the idea that Fleury is not the most clutch goalie for Canada doesn't make sense," he said.

Scott Burnside

The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins signed Pittsburgh-born defenseman Nate Guenin to a one-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

Guenin, 26, becomes the third Pittsburgh native to join the Penguins organization in the last three seasons, following Bill Thomas and Ryan Malone.

The Sewickley, Pennsylvania native appeared in one game with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2008-09 season while spending the majority of the year with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting 14 assists along with 95 penalty minutes in 62 games with the Phantoms this past season.

The 6-2, 210-pound defenseman played 12 career games in the NHL with the Flyers since 2006, recording two assists and six penalty minutes while collecting a plus-2 rating. The gritty blueliner made his NHL debut in Philadelphia versus the New York Islanders January 18, 2007. In three seasons with the Phantoms, Guenin registered 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists) and 333 minutes in penalties while appearing in 207 career games in the AHL. Guenin collected one assist and a plus-2 rating in 12 career post-season contests with the Phantoms in 2007-08.

Prior to joining the Flyers organization, Guenin played four years with Ohio State University from 2002-2006. Guenin recorded 53 points (six goals, 47 assists) in 151 games and was a two-time recipient of Ohio State’s Ice Club Scholar Athlete Award given to the top student athlete on the team.

Guenin was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Free-agency update ...

Beat reporter Rob Rossi gives the lowdown on activity between the Penguins and their players who can become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday:

LW Ruslan Fedotenko: No offer yet. He is seeking a multi-year deal. Talks will intensify today, though he is leaning toward testing the market.

D Rob Scuderi: Talks will continue today, but Scuderi will test the market. However, his camp will meet with Penguins one last time before making any final decision. He is seeking a multi-year deal.

D Hal Gill: His situation mirrors that for Scuderi.

C Mike Zigomanis: His camp was actively engaged in talks with Shero, and a deal could be reached before Wednesday.

RW Petr Sykora: No offer. However, the Penguins have not ruled out bringing him back.

RW Miroslav Satan: No offer. His return is unlikely. He will test the market.

D Philippe Boucher: No offer. His fate is tied into Scuderi and Gill. He will test the market.

G Mathieu Garon: No offer. He will test the market.

"The President is calling and my phone is running out of batteries and has very little charge."

This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful! See you at center ice.

"I know I let in some soft ones, and you guys still cheer for me, so thank you," Fleury said. "Also, I want to apologize to all the parents with their kids watching TV … I know I say bad words sometimes. But this is awesome. We've grown together."

"This is why I stayed, to play in games like this," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "I knew we had a team that would win games like this."

"We're still treating Petr like we're evaluating him day-to-day," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said Thursday afternoon, before his team departed for the short flight to Detroit. "He got a shot off the foot, and he has an injury, and we're kind of hoping he gets better today and better again tomorrow, and we'll see where he's at in that regard."

Click the quote for the story on NHL.com

"Like every kid growing up, you play street hockey, you play in the outdoor rinks and you always dream of that opportunity. I've watched Game 7 on television and you dream of making it to the NHL, but playing in a Game 7 is something you dream about. We've got an amazing opportunity here."