THE BLUE LINE
Gonchar Gets His Due
By Bob Grove

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar has been producing points for so long that, for many people, his offensive output has come to define his game. And those would be the people who don't have a chance to watch him every night.

Over each of the last eight seasons, the 34-year-old Russian has produced between 54 and 67 points, finishing among the top five defensemen in scoring six times and atop that list twice. He was second to Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom this season with 65 points and led all defensemen in power-play points (46) by a wide margin.

That's the story you know.

But the story that often is forgotten or overlooked is that Gonchar averaged more time short-handed per game (3:52) than any player who was with Pittsburgh all season; he led the team in ice time (25:54) by a wide margin; he had more blocked shots (126) than any player who was with the team all season; and, oh yeah, he played with three different partners and against the opposition's best line on most nights.

Other than that, Gonchar did nothing.

So it was hardly surprising to see him left off the list of Norris Trophy finalists, because a lot of the above was accomplished without the puck and some of it - like playing against the best in the league - isn't something you can quantify.

But his teammates understand just how good Gonchar really is after watching what was easily his best season with the Penguins.

"It's not like he's playing easy minutes," said Rob Scuderi, who replaced Mark Eaton as Gonchar's partner after Eaton was injured in late December. "He's usually got the team's top line, and he's got to play defensively against those guys. Some nights it might be a real big power forward, the next night it might be a finesse guy.

"It's tough to play against that top line. Maybe if you played 20 minutes, it might feel like 25 playing against those guys. And he's pulling that type of time every night, which is very impressive. I can't believe how underrated he is defensively. He makes good plays. He makes great breakout passes."

Brooks Orpik, who replaced Scuderi as Gonchar's partner in late February, had similar thoughts about the Penguins' alternate captain.

"You've got to be in really good shape to do it," he said. "He's a pretty big, strong physical guy, too. He's so highly skilled I think people overlook that. But he's in super, super shape, and this time of year you have to be with how hot the buildings are, and how long some of these games go, too."

Orpik also gives Gonchar credit for thinking the game, something else that won't show up on a stat sheet.

"The biggest thing is his vision," Orpik said. "His vision is almost without the puck. I know in the offensive zone I'm there to be a safety valve for him almost because he likes to take chances, but he finds these holes in the offensive zone. . . his timing is perfect. He catches guys sleeping.

"I talked to Ryan Whitney about it, because he tries to do the same thing, and he said, 'I don't know how he does it. I get one or two of those every five games, and he gets three or four a game.' It's something we kind of marvel at."

Gonchar's season has been something to marvel at for Pittsburgh hockey fans, some of whom were ready to run him out of town in his first season here. Funny, but we haven't heard from those fans much lately.