IS IT GONCHAR'S TIME TO GO-GO?

By MARK MADDEN

Sarge is out. Who’s gonna take his place?

No, the answer isn’t Jesus.

But defenseman Alex Goligoski is certainly showing the Penguins what he’s got. Now that he’s doing it in the absence of the injured Sergei Gonchar, I wonder how General Manager Ray Shero will approach negotiations to extend Gonchar’s contract.

There’s no doubt Gogo isn’t Gonch. But with the Penguins’ power play populated by a host of killers aside from Gonchar, all Goligoski needs to be is a reasonable facsimile. The Pens’ PP has underachieved the last two years even when Gonchar has been available to quarterback. Gonchar isn’t to blame, nor is he to credit. Perhaps the “too many cooks” theory applies.

Meantime, Goligoski piles up points: five goals and seven assists in 13 games and a stratospheric +11 mark. His game-tying goal at Columbus Oct. 30 gave him a seven-game points streak.

Goligoski is Gonchar Lite, a Xerox of a Xerox. But he’s got upside and is affordable, signed through 2011-12 at $1.83 million per.