PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Penguins' Sergei Gonchar will be sidelined for an unknown length of time due to a shoulder separation suffered last week in an exhibition game.
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review file
The Penguins won't have their "Sarge" running the show for a while.
Top defenseman Sergei Gonchar is out indefinitely with a left shoulder dislocation -- the result of a hit into the boards by Tampa Bay forward David Koci midway through the opening period of an exhibition game Saturday at Mellon Arena.
General manager Ray Shero said Wednesday "indefinite is really the way to put it, because we don't know."
"We won't know more maybe until next week, when he has a chance to see some other doctors, get some other opinions, other avenues he can take for getting better," Shero said prior to the Penguins' final home exhibition game against Toronto. "Right now, he's starting his rehab."
Gonchar has yet to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging examination, Shero said. He added that surgery "is an option" and said the organization would support Gonchar if he sought that option.
Gonchar, 34, was not available for comment.
J.P. Barry, who represents Gonchar, said via a text message he had "no idea yet" how much time Gonchar might miss.
"We are still getting all the advice we need on the best course of action," Barry wrote.
The loss of Gonchar, the NHL's second-highest scoring defenseman with 431 points since 2000, is a jarring blow to the Penguins -- especially considering the current status of defenseman Ryan Whitney.
An August surgery to correct a left-foot deformity will keep Whitney out until at least December. Gonchar (132) and Whitney (99) have combined to account for 71 percent of the Penguins' defensive scoring the past two seasons.
Gonchar has worked the point on the Penguins' top power-play unit since his arrival for the 2005-06 season. He has scored 26 goals and recorded 106 assists for an advantage attack that finished no lower than sixth over that span.
Assistant coach Mike Yeo, who runs the club's power play, said Sunday that Whitney "would have been the obvious replacement for Gonchar" on that unit. Whitney has scored 20 goals and recorded 53 assists on the power play the past three seasons.
The Penguins placed center Evgeni Malkin on the power-play point last night, with rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski working the off-point that Malkin occupied late last season.
Goligoski, a dominant offensive player over three seasons at the University of Minnesota (98 points in 117 games), had a standout first professional season last year. He scored 10 goals and recorded 38 points in 70 regular-season games with AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton -- adding four goals and 28 points in 23 Calder Cup playoff contests.
Coach Michel Therrien said yesterday the injuries to Gonchar and Whitney "provided opportunities for young players to prove they belong in the NHL." He was specifically referring to Goligoski and right-handed shooting defenseman Kris Letang, who scored six goals and recorded 17 points over 63 games with the Penguins last season.
Letang's performance forced veteran Darryl Sydor to watch most of the Stanley Cup playoffs as a healthy scratch. However, Sydor replaced Letang after Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.
Goligoski, 23, and Letang, 21, were by far the youngest defensemen competing in training camp for a spot among the Penguins' top six. They are joined by veterans Brooks Orpik, 27, Rob Scuderi, 29, Hal Gill, 33, and Sydor, 36.
Orpik and Gonchar were considered the club's top defensive pairing. Gonchar paced the club with a per-game average ice time of 25 minutes and 54 seconds last season.
Shero termed playing without Gonchar and Whitney -- third in average ice time last season at 22:26 -- "a challenge," but added "it's no different than last year playing without your top goaltender and top player."
Center Sidney Crosby and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury each missed significant time last season due to ankle sprains. The Penguins still won the Atlantic Division -- their first division title since 1998.
"As I've said about this team, it's been very resilient," Shero said. "We do have some younger players that certainly deserve the opportunity to step up and play, and we do have some veterans that can step up as well.
"Three weeks ago we we're happy with our depth on defense, and right now I'm happy we have that."
Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or 412-380-5635.
There's no 'O' in defense
The Penguins will start the season without defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, who combined for 71 percent of the points provided from that position the past two seasons. A look at the offensive production of the club's current defensemen over that span:
PLAYER GOALS ASSISTS POINTS
Sergei Gonchar- 25 107 132
Ryan Whitney- 26 73 99
*Hal Gill- 9 35 44
#Darryl Sydor- 6 28 34
Kris Letang- 8 11 19
Brooks Orpik- 1 16 17
Rob Scuderi- 1 15 16
Mark Eaton- 0 6 6
^Alex Goligoski- 0 2 2
Danny Richmond- 0 2 2
*8 goals, 32 assists, 40 points with Toronto (2006-2008)
#5 goals, 16 assists, 21 points with Dallas (2006-07)
^Appeared in 3 games (2007-08); would be a rookie this season
Source: NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins
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