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Q: Although the chances would have been slim, I tried to get tickets (when they went on sale Tuesday), but noticed that you have to be from around Pennsylvania or your order would be canceled. I don't see Detroit doing this. I would cheer for the Pens just as hard as a guy who lives in Pennsylvania.

Paul Morosin, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

MOLINARI: When the Penguins instituted the policy of restricting online ticket sales to people in a specific region, their stated intent was not to discriminate against fans who live elsewhere in North America (or anywhere in the world, for that matter), but to prevent an inordinate number of tickets from ending up in the hands of ticket brokers.

How effective that strategy has been is hard to say, and it's unfortunate for fans such as yourself that such an extreme measure was deemed necessary, but it's also understandable that the Penguins would make looking out for the best interests of their core constituents a top priority.

Q: It is amazing how fast public opinion has changed about the blockbuster deal to bring in Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. Now that everyone is satisfied with Hossa's ability to score the big goals, not just his back-checking and solid two-way play, will the fight to keep him in a Penguins uniform be easier for management (because) the fans are completely behind him?

Kyle Chase, Pittsburgh

MOLINARI: Forget the obvious perils of drawing long-term conclusions, positive or otherwise, about any player on the basis of what happens in one game, or even one series. The simple truth is, public opinion has nothing to do with whether the Penguins will move aggressively to re-sign Hossa this summer, or whether he will agree to return.

The first thing general manager Ray Shero and his staff will have to do is decide if, from a hockey perspective, they want Hossa on their team. That should require roughly three-hundredths of a second (if they proceed cautiously).

The next step is far more complicated. Shero will have to determine what he believes Hossa is worth, and whether a contract for that amount (along with whatever length Hossa will be seeking) can be made to work within the parameters of the team's salary-cap situation. With prominent free agents like Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik and Marc-Andre Fleury also in line for new deals, Shero will have to do a lot of calculating and projecting and, ultimately, some hard decision-making because he won't be able to bring back everybody.

He cannot, however, allow public sentiment to shape his thinking. A coach or GM who takes his cues from the media or fans isn't likely to hold onto his job for very long. And probably shouldn't.

Q: It's been wonderful watching these young Penguins mature and grow as a hockey team. Could we be watching a dynasty in the making like the Oilers of the 1980s, with the roles of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr and Paul Coffey being played by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Gonchar? Three or four Stanley Cups over the next decade would be great.

Allen Weinstock, Harrisburg

MOLINARI: The thinking here is that three or four Stanley Cups in a decade does not constitute a dynasty -- three or four in a row is more like it -- but in the salary-cap era, it will be difficult for any team to keep the heart of its lineup intact long enough to string together a significant run of championships. While the Penguins might be in the best possible position to do something like that because many of their key players are still on their entry-level or second pro contracts, even they are a lock to lose some valuable contributors via free agency this summer.

That reality might have influenced Shero's decision to abandon his patience-based approach to team-building at the trade deadline and bring in Hossa, Dupuis and Hal Gill. None came cheaply, but all addressed specific needs, and enhanced the Penguins' chances of being a significant force in these playoffs.