Jaromir Jagr knows all too well that Pittsburgh will be a hostile atmosphere for him and his Flyers teammates but he wouldn’t expect things to be any different as he tells Sarah Baicker of CSNPhilly.com. In fact, Jagr thinks someone else with the team might be more disliked than he is.
“I don’t think I’m Public Enemy No. 1,” Jagr said with a grin. “I think Lavy [coach Peter Laviolette] is right now. At least that’s what I saw last game.”
Very funny, Jags. But seriously, tell us what you think about this series and how the fans will treat you in Pittsburgh.
“It’s not anything new to me,” Jagr said after Tuesday’s practice in New Jersey. “It happened right away after 2000 when I got traded to Washington. It’s already 12 years. That’s exactly what I expected.”
Jagr’s first return to Pittsburgh in December this season saw him score a goal and lead the Flyers to victory. Teammate and fellow ex-Penguin Maxime Talbot scored the empty-net goal to ice the game. This time around, it could wind up being a seven-game brawl for it all with four games set in Pittsburgh. With how temperamental Jagr has been with any games concerning Pittsburgh, how he plays will be under the microscope.
The Flyers are hoping he can turn back the clock and show some of those old skills he used to show off only to beat Pittsburgh, not win it for them.