By Bob Smizik | Friday, 8 a.m.
This blog aroused the ire of some Penguns fans last week when it proclaimed the injury that would keep top defenseman Sergei Gonchar out of the lineup for four to six weeks actually was a blessing and that both the player and the team would benefit from the injury.
Some people even questioned my hockey expertise. Imagine that!
The reasoning for the stance was that with the Penguins a lock to make the playoffs, it wasn’t a bad idea that Gonchar, who broke his wrist, take some time off to stay fresh from the grind of the long season and the playoffs.
That logic did not register with hockey aficionados. I
stand behind it, though. The Penguins will be fine without Gonchar, who is 35 and will be 36 by the end of the season. His fresher legs will benefit the team more in May and June than his presence on the power play will in October and November.
As for the strained shoulder of Evegni Malkin, which the Penguins announced yesterday, well, it's not such good news that he'll miss two weeks. Malkin is a young stud and he doesn’t need to rest his legs for the long grind of the season, although he might benefit for such an absence.
Malkin is an elite player, who led the NHL in scoring last season and won the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Penguins will miss his great ability and it will enable teams to focus more on Sidney Crosby’s line now that the Malkin line will be a lesser threat.
But here’s another reason why Malkin will be missed. His absence removes the air of invincibility that has surrounded the Penguins. Some teams might actually believe, unlike the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night, the Penguins can be beaten now that Malkin’s out of the lineup.
I’m not suggesting teams gave up before the game started when facing the defending Stanley Cup champion, but maybe they did once the Penguins took the lead. With Malkin out for two weeks, the aura of superiority that has surrounded the Penguins will vanish.
The good news is Malkin figures to miss only about six games, beginning tonight when the Penguins play at Columbus. and he should be a better player when he returns with his shoulder given a chance to rest and, yes, with fresher legs.
Posted
Oct 30 2009, 08:00 AM
by
Bob Smizik