Ouch Ryan Malone breaks his nose

Here is a video of the play that former SCSU Husky Ryan Malone breaks his nose. Ouch! Ryan Malone is one tough hockey player and is a free agent on July 1st. When teams are looking to sign free agents it might be plays like this that will help them make up their mind, toughness like this also give fellow players inspiration. I am hoping the GM of the Minnesota Wild was watching this game.

Malone joked Wednesday before Game Six that his wife might leave him because his puss was so ugly after Penguins teammate Hal Gill nailed with a slap shot him two nights earlier. A few stitches along the right side joined faded black eyes from a beak previously busted in the series opener against the Red Wings.

But there he was, having been treated and released from the Pens' medical room after the second period, ready for the third. And there he was in the third overtime, parked outside the crease and screening Chris Osgood for the winner in a 4-3 victory. There he was Wednesday, knowing that playing with an ugly nose was better than not playing.

And that's what made his nose so pretty.

"It could have been a lot worse, so I'm definitely thankful," Malone said before Game Six in the Igloo. "A broken nose, a swollen lip and some chipped teeth are a pretty good scenario for a puck in the face."

Malone's schnozz evolved into more than a breathing instrument during the finals. It became a symbol for the Penguins. They were beat up and knocked down, but they were willing to pay the price until they were knocked out. Malone underscored the collective personality of a team that refused to quit.

"Anybody in this room would be doing the same thing," Malone said. "You never know when you're going to back in the Stanley Cup finals. You have to make sure that you're doing whatever you can to help out."

No, you never really do know.

Ottawa barely made the playoffs this season after losing in the finals last year. Edmonton hasn't reached the postseason since losing to Carolina two years ago. Buffalo won the Presidents' Trophy last season and missed the playoffs this year. Pittsburgh should have a good team for a long time, but you never know.

Ask Ottawa. Ask Edmonton.

Ask Buffalo.

Detroit was the better team going into this series, and it seemed a matter of time before it was confirmed. The Red Wings had more talent, more depth and more experience. Pittsburgh could have surrendered after two games getting thumped twice to start the series. But with players like Malone, the Pens kept coming.

East Amherst defenseman Brooks Orpik has played the best hockey of his career. Sergei Gonchar suffered back spasms in Game Five, spent nearly three full periods in the dressing room and returned eight minutes into the third overtime and helped set up Petr Sykora's winner. It sends a strong message to both teams.

"It motivates you," winger Maxime Talbot said. "[Malone] is a warrior out there, and now he's marked for life. But the way he came back was definitely big. You look at him when you're on the bench and you're like, "Wow.' Same thing with Gonch. It gives you a lot of energy."

Malone probably played his final game in the Igloo as a member of the Penguins on Wednesday night. He's coming off a career year with 27 goals and 51 points while flanking superstar Sidney Crosby, and he's expected to draw attention when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.