MARTIN > GONCHAR?

By Mark Madden

The other night, a Penguins player opined to me that Paul Martin would be a more than ample replacement for Sergei Gonchar, and might even be Gonchar’s equal on the power play.

That’s quite a statement, but it could well be true.

Gonchar was the decade’s best power-play quarterback, no doubt. But the decade’s over. Gonchar made a rash of old-man mistakes down the stretch run, and he’s never been worse than Game 7 against Montreal. Gonchar’s best bet was adrenaline via a change of scenery. The Penguins’ best bet was an upgrade.

That’s what Martin is, an upgrade. Immeasurably better defensively, very solid when it comes to puck possession and distribution. Seven years younger. Gonchar is more accomplished than Martin on the man-advantage, but if the switch means Crosby or Malkin becomes the PP’s fulcrum, maybe that’s for the better.