Twenty-one games into the season Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are pacing the Penguins in scoring. Sidney Crosby is on top with 33 points (14 G & 19 A) and a +4. Evgeni Malkin, who has struggled at times, is second with 20 points (7 G & 13 A) but is a -3. Kris Letang is taking over Sergei Gonchar’s spot on the scoring list at number three with 18 points (3 G & 15 A) and is an impressive +9 as well.

There is one distinct disappoint however beyond Malkin’s spotty play until lately. Zbynek Michalek who was touted as a shut down defenseman is a -5 on the season. It is hard to see him not finishing the season with much better numbers but his performance does bear watching.

Have you seen me?

In 2008-09 Eric Goddard played 71 games for the Penguins. In 2009-10 Goddard played in 45 games during the season. This year Goddard has played in just 6 games. He is a +2. If this trend continues, the Penguins enforcer is on pace to appear in just under 25 games this year. His diminishing role can be attributed to the accession of other players willing to drop the gloves. In particular Deryk Engelland who has proven himself a serviceable sixth defenseman and who has appeared in 19 games. Engelland has shown the ability to take on the opposition’s tough guys and stand up for his teammates. All this points to Goddard’s days with the Penguins pretty much ending unless something catastrophic happens such a injuries.

Again last night Marc-Andre Fleury let in the first shot he faced. But the Penguins roared back to score two short handed goals (on the same Lightning powerplay) and a third goal to rocket ahead to a 3-1 lead. However by the end of the first period the Lightning made it 3-2 and by the time it was all over the Pens lost 4-3.

Fleury was, to be blunt, bad. He seems to be getting worse as the season rolls on an Brent Johnson eats up the minutes in his stead. This leads me to believe that Fleury, who we all know is a great goalie, yes even the Fleury haters know this, simply needs to play more to get into a groove. So let’s play him more.

I also think that it is obvious that the defense seems to be playing differently in front of Fleury than they play in front of Johnson. When Johnson is in net the defense seems much more tight in the defensive zone. They are in position and they are getting to pucks. With Fleury though his different style and skills seem to lead the defensemen to play a little looser in all important areas.

This does not excuse Fleury’s lack luster play. But it puts blame on the entire team where I think it rightfully belongs.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the power play shall we?

I am going to bring up again how it is obvious that there is something wrong. And I don’t think it is Sergei Gonchar not being on the blue line either. Yes, last year the Pens power play was better in spurts with Sarge quarterbacking it, but even with him there handling the puck things were still amiss with the man advantage. Well all know it. Don’t deny it.

I still think the problem is Sid and Geno playing together on the same unit. This one constant is becoming more and more obvious as the power play featuring these two superstars (along with a more than highly skilled supporting cast) want to pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass and pass the puck which often leads to turnovers and the puck eventually leaving the zone due to an errant pass.

I know the rationale for putting them on the same unit. I know the theory is that you put your best players together and you get your best power play. But are we perhaps ready to admit that this is not necessarily the case? Are we ready to say that so many skilled players playing together is leading to too much thinking and not enough success?

Sid and Geno have proven to have some chemistry when playing at even strength. But even this has shown to be anything but a sure thing when it comes to generating offense. The power play is an entirely different beast. Last year the trouble was attributed to Sid and Geno fighting to be in the same spot. This year that problem was supposed to be elevated by separating the two. It has not worked however. Could it just be that the chemistry is not there?

While I don’t doubt that if Geno and Sid would hunker down and concentrate on scoring rather than overly thinking about who to pass to next in order to set up the perfect shot the PP it would be very awesome sight to see. However that is not happening. Maybe it is time to try two different units (1 and 1A) with Sid leading one and Geno leading the other. Keeping them both on the ice for nearly two whole minutes isn’t apparently working well enough.

Spare me the complaint about how you decide who is 1 and who is 1A when it comes to the power play. Has there been a problem with Sid being 1 and Geno being 1A (second line) at even strength? No. So let’s at least start looking seriously at the problem. Let’s stop stroking egos for fear of offending someone. These two are making $8.7 million each. If Dan Bylsma wants them to skate around the ice in pink tu tus they had better do so proudly asking only one question. That question is what exact shade of pink Coach Disco would prefer.

If you are a Penguins fan and don’t like Sergei Gonchar then there is something really wrong with you and your brain is not wired right. I remember when the Penguins signed Gonchar a few years back too many people ballyhooed about the acquisition because they knew so little about the skill Sarge brought to the blue line. They remembered he was a Capital and hated him because of it.

But like it or not for the better part of his career in the NHL Sergei Gonchar has been one of elite offense defensemen if not the cream of that crop and the cherry on top too. Especially where the power play was concerned there was no finer player to quarterback the slaughter. His offensive prowess has never been in doubt except to those uninitiated in the finer points of hockey.

This year however things seem different. Perhaps it is age and two grueling seasons on a team who went deep into the playoff playing a demanding offensive style that has taken its toll on Gonch. Perhaps it is just an off year. Perhaps it is just misconceptions about exactly what he has accomplished. But right now, with Sergei Gonchar looking for a new contract things just don’t seem to rosy for one of the top offensive d-men to ever play the game.

In 62 regular season games Gonchar had 11 goals and 39 assists. Unfortunately he was also a -4 but he was tied for third in scoring on the team. And the guy he was tied with, Alex Ponikarovsky did most of his scoring elsewhere before joining the Penguins. In the playoffs Gonchar had 2 goals, 10 assists and was +4 in 13 games. I’ll take that from a defenseman any day of the week and twice on Sunday. So it cannot be his offensive stats that are the problem. What does seems to be the problem is that his offensive output is leading to a defensive lapse. That’s not good even for an offensive defenseman.

Probably though the biggest reason people are down on Gonchar this year is the power play which was pathetic 26th. Gonchar is an easy target considering that he plays most of every power play for the Penguins. But so too do Crosby and Malkin. I think the problems with the man advantage are deeper than Gonchar although he is an easy scapegoat. I still maintain that it is long past time to split up the dynamic duo and have them each run their own unit because it is obvious that both Sid and Geno want to play the same spot on the ice making it very easy to defend. And teams have defended it well. But this is not say that Gonchar is not blameless either.

I like Gonchar. I bought a number 55 jersey when he joined the team. My friend John liked the acquisition of Ziggy Palffy that year better. Good thing he didn’t invest the money in a #33 sweater.

But even though I like him it does not mean that I am interested in giving him the farm to stay. Gonchar made five million this past year. That is a hefty sum and one that he has been worth. But this year, especially with the power play faltering, the Penguins cannot really afford to invest in a multiyear contract for Gonch at that rate. Hate to say it but I think age is catching up to him. He is still a way above average offensive D-man but I do not know that he is the same guy I drafted quickly and often every year in fantasy hockey because of his skills.

Is he worth what Letang just got? I’d say yes for two years. But it would be a pay cut to what Sarge would likely get on the open market.

Honestly I don’t care what Gonchar does. If he wants the money he wants the money. Can’t fault him for that. But what if he takes that money and doesn’t win? I don’t know about you but being a richer loser doesn’t seem like much fun when you can be a slightly less rich winner.

If I were the Penguins the deal would be three years at an average of 2.75 million a year (3 mill this year, 2.75 next and 2.5 in year three). Take it or leave it. Time is not on Sarge’s side. He’s 36 and I think he’s got three good years left in him. Not great years, but good ones. Plus as long as he is on the bench I have a feeling that Letang and Goligoski will never get the ice time they need to develop in the Power Play quarterbacks they can become.

Once again, the only reason game 5 of the series between the Pens and the Habs was close was a man named Halak.  But while Halak stood tall in net for the Canadiens he was again outshone by Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.   Montreal out shot the Penguins 33-25 but Fleury made 32 saves while Halak made only 23.  It was a dangerous game for Pittsburgh who could have by all rights once again blown out the Habs but couldn’t get pucks in nets as often as they should have.

And as usual Pittsburgh had to not only beat Halak but also the refs who seem to prefer a return to the clutch and grab era of hockey in order to give Montreal a chance while allowing every Hab on the ice to whack at Matt Cooke with impunity.  That’s ok because so far so good.

Pittsburgh got goals from their blue liners as both Kris Letang (4) and Sergei Gonchar (2) scored while Montreal’s lone goal came in the closing seconds on a power play with Halak on the bench.  Oh yeah, and the puck clearly frozen under Marc-Andre Fleury.  But refs allowed the play to continue and the puck got poked into the net.

The series now returns to Montreal Monday night with the Penguins up three games to two and a chance to close out the series.  The problem is that the Penguins have had a nasty habit of not being able to end series on their first attempt.  So the question is out there at to whether or not the clock will strike midnight on Cinderella or whether or not she has a few more dances left in her.

Notes:

Dan Bylsma finally, and I say that enthusiastically, scratched Ponikarovsky who has not been worth the investment the Penguins made in him for the post season.  How bad has Ponikarovsky been?  In 10 games he had just 1 goal, three assists and was a -1 before hugging the pine last night.  Both Matt Cooke and Max Talbot have more points.

The mood at the Igloo last night went from energetic to disappointment to frustration to jubilation to tense and back to jubilation over the course of sixty minutes of hockey in which the Penguins outlasted the North East Division leading Boston Bruins. Mark Letestu, who will probably be a permanent fixture for the Penguins at some point in the future baring a trade, which I think would be foolish, opened the scoring just 0:47 into the game as the Penguins stormed into the Bruins end on an odd man break. Tyler Kennedy fed the puck across the ice and to Letestu who buried a wristed over Miller and into the net for his first goal of the season.

There was energy that could be felt.

But all that changed at 5:15 of the first when the Penguins let in a power play tally by Derek Roy (12) to tie it and then an even strength goal at 6:03 by Thomas Vanek (17) to fall behind 2-1. Disappoint settled in and got worse as at 7:32 of the second Tim Kennedy (6) put the Bruins up 3-1.

Then came the show.

Three and a half minutes later after the Bruins staked a two goal lead on the defending Stanley Cup Champs it was Sidney Crosby (35) snapping a shot in behind Miller on the power play to cut the deficit to 3-2. Three minutes after that it was Jordan Staal (14) who buried the game tying goal. Three and a half minutes after that it was Crosby (36) again who beat Miller to give the Penguins the lead back on an unassisted goal.
Done? Ha! Not by a long shot! A minute and a half later Sidney Crosby (37) found the net for the third time in the period and for the hat trick giving the Penguins a 5-3 lead that had the Bruins reeling.

Pittsburgh and Buffalo played in each other’s end for much of the third period raking up 13 and 11 shots respectively. But the Penguins were holding until near the end. A power play goal with three minutes remaining by Jason Pominville (15) after a Sergei Gonchar tripping penalty made it a one goal game. Then the most bogus of penalties was called on Brooks Orpik at 17:56 of the final frame.

Orpik was nudging his man in down low with his free hand in the lower back and doing so both repeatedly and legally when all of a sudden the referee’s hand goes up, he points to Orpik calls a holding penalty on the defenseman leaving the Penguins to kill one final power play.

With Miller pulled and a six on four however the Penguins held the line and even got a face off down at the Bruins end of the ice at the end of it all to take the pressure off thanks to a puck played by a Bruins high stick.

Fleury played well enough to win the game despite a couple soft goals stopping 30 of 34 shots. The win was another important one for the Penguins who had to prove they could come from behind against a good team and a great goal tender and just one day after a grueling shoot out win against a struggling but still dangerous Detroit Red Wings squad. Pittsburgh (35-21-1, 71 pts) trails New Jersey by just a point in the Atlantic Division but the Devils have three games in hand over the champs.

Now it is a long layoff for Pittsburgh before playing on Saturday against the Montreal Canadians (25-25-6, 56 pts) who are 10th in the East and then a Sunday showdown in Washington against the best in the East Capitals (37-12-6 80 pts).

Ottawa had the unfortunate privilege of coming into Pittsburgh just two days after the Penguins suffered another humiliating defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. After a game in which the Penguins literally handed Martin Brodeur his record setting shutout, the Senators had to know they were walking into the lion’s den.

Although it might all have ended differently if not for Marc-Andre Fleury. In the first period alone Flower had to face 24 shots and allowing just one goal. Leclaire, returning from injury for the Senators, faced just nine but also allowed a goal to Evgeni Malkin (11) on the power play to end the period tied at 1-1.

While it looked like a hockey game was afoot, what was about to happen is so horrific that young children, women and people with heart conditions are advised to look away. As the second period started a murder started to took place. The victims were the Ottawa Senator.

The period went like this:
1:03 Billy Guerin (10) – PPG and 2-1 Pens
7:35 Ruslan Fedotenko (7) and 3-1 Pens
11:25 Chris Kunitz (5) and 4-1 Pens
13:57 Billy Guerin (11) – PPG and 5-1 Pens
18:27 Evgeni Malkin (12) and 6-1 Pens

The bloody and beaten carcass of the Senators though still had life matching the Penguins 15 shots with 15 of their own but nothing to show for it due to a brick wall in net for the Penguins.

In the third the Penguins put the Senators of out their misery as Sergei Gonchar (5) added a seventh goal and Evgeni Malkin (13) capped off the hat trick for an 8-1 lead. Ottawa, in its death throws, added a late goal to make the final score 8-2 but died a short while after.

The crowd was ruckus late in the third repeatedly cheering for Billy Guerin to get more ice time in search of his own hat trick. After failing to finish on a couple opportunities however it was not meant to be.

Fleury finished the night with a massive 45 saves as the Penguins improved to 26-11-1 (53 pts) ahead of a Sunday match up with Toronto, one of the worst teams in the East at 13-17-8. Currently the Penguins sit in 4th place in the East in large part due to their inability to beat New Jersey who is in first place and also with 53 points.

Notes:
Craig Adams (-1) was the only Penguin to finish the game in the red when it comes to +/- rating.

Kunitz (1G, 3A) and Guerin (2G, 2A) both paced the Penguins with four points on the night.