NEW JERSEY VS. TORONTO BUFFALO VS. PITTSBURGH COLORADO VS. LOS ANGELES DALLAS VS. ST. LOUIS

Tuesday, May 1 Updated: May 2, 7:36 PM ET Jagr believes he will be traded in offseason ESPN.com news services Jagr PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr, who hopes to play in Game 4 against Buffalo tonight after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury, said on Wednesday that this has been "the most difficult week of my life." "It can't get any worst than that," Jagr told ESPN. "I'm at the bottom right now. The only way is up." Jagr said that while it was difficult to hear criticism about his play from teammate and team owner Mario Lemieux, he understands that Lemieux has the right to make such comments in his role as owner. Jagr acknowledged that he has not played well. He also reiterated Wednesday that there is a good chance he will be traded this offseason. Jagr skated for about an hour Tuesday and said he felt much better than he did Monday, when the five-time NHL scoring champion was in so much pain he couldn't shoot the puck. "The doctors and trainers are going to have to do something before the game, give me some painkillers or numb it. But I want to play," Jagr said of a potentially pivotal game in which Pittsburgh could go up 3-1. However, Jagr is wary about numbing the shoulder because he wouldn't know if he was further damaging it. Doing so might cause him to miss the rest of the playoffs, possibly ending any chance Pittsburgh has to win the Stanley Cup. "That's the risk I have to take right now," he said. "In this situation, you don't think about yourself, you don't think about your health. The number one thing is to win the hockey game. You'll do anything to get ready for the game, you'll take anything to help you play." That's why Jagr said he wishes Lemieux hadn't publicly challenged him before the Buffalo series, saying Jagr had to play better and be more of a leader for Pittsburgh to win the cup. Lemieux made his comments after Jagr was held to one goal during a six-game elimination of Washington. "I got injured right after he made those comments and it's made everything a lot worse," Jagr said. "I don't think he should say that, he should tell me, it would make it easier on the team. But he decided to say it in public and I respect it. ... Maybe he misunderstands, but I want the same thing he does." Jagr said he hasn't spoken to Lemieux about the remarks. "He's our leader, he's the owner, and he said Jaromir Jagr has to play better if we want to go to the finals," Jagr said. "You can take it like a compliment, or you can take it the other way, that Mario's not happy with the way I was playing. "Maybe I didn't play the way I should have played, or expected to play, but it wasn't that I wasn't working hard." Jagr also said that talk of a trade this coming offseason had become a distraction. And he said it bothered him that the crowd in Pittsburgh cheered Monday night before Game 3 when it was announced that he was a scratch. The Penguins initially described Jagr's injury as a charley horse, but NHL teams often don't disclose the exact nature of injuries to protect their players during the playoffs. "If the other team knows about it, they're going to try to make it worse," Jagr said. Without Jagr, Pittsburgh was held to 20 shots Monday night in a 4-1 loss to the Sabres that cut its Eastern Conference semifinal series lead to 2-1. Lemieux was held scoreless after scoring a goal in each of the first two games. "You can see it out there when he (Jagr) doesn't play, they can take Mario's space away," defenseman Bob Boughner said. "When Jags is out there, there's more room for Mario to work. Also on our power play, it's a lot better when Jags is out there." Jagr could have played Monday, but said he couldn't have shot and thus would have been of no help to the team. "I'm not superhuman or Superman and can go out there (injured) and score three goals," he said. "For me to play well I've got to be at 100 percent. A lot of great players are out there trying to stop you." Rookie goalie Johan Hedberg didn't notice any big difference in Jagr's shooting Tuesday, even if Jagr said he isn't back to where he wants to be. "His normal self is unbelievable," Hedberg said. "Every time he's coming down on you it's a big challenge, it doesn't matter if he's got one leg or one arm, he can put the puck in the net." Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

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