Alex's Amazing Potential
Let me take you back to September 2008, the beginning of the exhibition season, and a game against Tampa Bay. Sergei Gonchar took a hit from Lightning defenseman David Koci and before we knew it word around Pittsburgh was that Gonchar would be undergoing surgery and would likely be out for 4-6 months. This came as devastating news for the Penguins blueline, having already Ryan Whitney out after surgery to his foot and Rob Scuderi out for a short period with a minor injury to his ribs. This was not the ideal situation for the Penguins, coming off the back of the disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, and therefore high expectations for the 2008-09 season.
The Penguins were left with six defensemen at their disposal, veterans Hal Gill, Mark Eaton, Brooks Orpik and Darryl Sydor. They also had sophomore Kris Letang and rookie Alex Goligoski. The former group are well known for their defensive prowess, however, the loss of Gonchar and Whitney left a huge hole for the Penguins defensive core that if offensive production. This responsibility would fall on the youngest of the Penguins defensemen.
Alex Goligoski had only 3 games NHL experience coming into the current season. He was coming off an incredibly successful season playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 2007-08 season had seen Goligoski be a key part of the Baby Penguins run to the Calder cup finals, setting an AHL record for defensemen in the process by getting 28 points in 23 games. Little could he have know what an impact and how crucial he would be in his rookie stretch.
After a good training camp, and the unfortunate position the Penguins had found themselves in as regards injuries, Goligoski’s development was to take a huge step as he found himself a full time roster member.
In the Penguins season openers in Stockholm against Ottawa, clearly determined to make an impact, Goligoski scored the lone goal in the second game. He showed great offensive flair and most Pens fans breathed a sigh of relief that we may have someone here, along with Letang who can carry the offensive side of the defense. Amidst all the talk I had heard of fans threatening to throw away their season tickets on the announcement of the considerable number of months Gonchar and Whitney would be out…somehow there seemed to b a glimmer of hope that the defense would survive and maybe more!
Goligoski continued to thrive in his position with the Penguins, taking Gonchar’s role by anchoring the powerplay, an honour indeed considering Gonchar is one of the most supreme quarterbacks in the NHL. He led Penguins and rookie defensemen with 6 goals and 14 assists and 20 points in 44 games. He was also named rookie for the first half of the season for the Atlantic division, high praise indeed for a rookie that was considered fast-tracked and barely ready to be a permanent fixture on the Penguins roster.
So, was it a right place, right time scenario that helped Goligoski flourish? Would his rookie season have been equally successful if he had been placed in a less pressured situation? I’m certain that had the Penguins not had the problems with injuries a very different picture could have played out. This is not to take anything away from the talented defenseman and his achievements this season. When Whitney returned Goligoski’s powerplay and overall ice time predictably dropped. When Gonchar came back into the line-up it was going to be the rookie who was sent down.
This season has been incredibly crucial to his progress and he has developed considerably over the season. There is no doubt that he has improved his defensive game, but there are still areas that require attention naturally. Alex is clearly endowed with natural skating ability, cracking passing style, intelligence and offensive skill. He does, however, still need to build some strength and size if he is to prosper long term in the NHL.
I, for one, am pleased that the inevitable decision was made to return him to Wilkes-Barre and I envisage that the strength he will garner from his steady progress will stand him in excellent stead for the rest of his NHL career. While I admit that during the Penguins worrying slump I was ready to send Gogo packing, along with Jordan Staal (purely on the basis of receding hairline and long legs!), in the never ending search for a b*tch…sorry winger…for Sid. With hindsight, this would have been a rather foolish move for Shero to undertake. In Goligoski, we are sure to have a future defensive star, whom I predict will be better than Whitney. To trade Whitney surely shows that the organisation has high hopes for him. His confidence and experience from his rookie season have proven that he is without doubt, one of the Penguins future standouts.
Rod Sarich-Sheffield's Superstar
“I think there are times that you think, why is he here and not back in North America at the highest level this game is played at.”-Sheffield Steelers head coach David Matsos
If I mention the surname Sarich you’re sure to be saying , “Hey I know that name, Cory Sarich right!” True, but that is not who I want to talk about. I’m going to be focusing on the lesser known of the Sarich brothers, Rod Sarich. He remains a mostly unknown in North America, he has, however, had a simply outstanding season here in the UK playing for the Sheffield Steelers.
Rod joined the Steelers back in 2005 after a fairly strong junior career with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. His junior career saw him not only be a part of the Memorial Cup final team in 1999 but also captain the team in his final season in 2001-02. During his junior career he was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round and 109th overall in the 1999 NHL draft.
Before I go any further, I feel a little comparative exercise is needed so you place this piece in perspective. The EIHL is composed to a fair degree of North American players, whom have seen a relatively small amount of success at professional level. This is, however, limited to 10 imported players per team and, therefore, you will often find a high turnover of players on a team. The level of play is equal to the top of the ECHL. The game is, therefore, quite similar in fashion to that of our North American counterparts, though notoriously physical up until the NHL post lockout era where the EIHL adopted a number of the changes made across the pond.
Back to Rod…
While I have spent much of the hockey season unsure about the Penguins and their potential, I have had no such concerns here in Sheffield. The current team have truly surpassed themselves this year. While I feared the Penguins would not become a playoff team this year, I have been kept alive by the Steelers’ domination of the EIHL. The Steelers have managed to nab themelves not only the league title, the most sought-after prize in the EIHL, but also the playoff title which they successfully retained after winning the same accolade last season.
Sarich’s part in this year’s team success is undeniable, an opinion shared by many around the league as he was named last week as the defenseman of the year. Having been accused of being consistently inconsistent through his time with the Steelers, his defensive partnership with Steve Munn has seen the duo wholeheartedly epitomise the “you’re only as good as your defensive partner” locution. While the Steelers have been accused of playing “boring” or “patient” style, Sarich and Munn have shown they know how to get the job done and thrive on picking apart the opposing team with speed and cunning.
But this isn’t where Sarich’s talents end….oh no…when Roddy goes forward the opposing team are always in trouble. While the defense in front of netminder Lehman this year has been solid, Sarich has also had the opportunity to show off some of his offensive flair. He has at times, in the absence of team forwards, had the opportunity to play the wing and his intelligence, strong skating ability along with his remarkable stick handling and just generally covering the ice very well means he causes absolute mayhem when playing up front. It’s fair to say that a lot of pressure is put on defensemen here in UK hockey, which was pointed out to me recently by a noted hockey savant, as the teams generally play fewer than six defensemen. In Sheffield they play five, though only four of these can be classed as supremely effective. This makes Sarich’s achievements this year even more worthy after showing his flexibility and mature approach to the game.
While he may not be playing with the big boys, he maintains an almost “superstar” status among the Sheffield audience, where he has become a firm fan favourite. It’s pretty amazing to think that Rod was selected higher in the 1999 draft than some well known names in the NHL today, Ryan Malone going 115th, Ryan Miller at 138th and even Mr Zetterberg himself at 210th overall. Sure, we all know about draft busts, but I truly believe that had he been chosen by a team willing to develop him, he could have been an asset to any franchise.
On a final note, I learnt this week that there is a good chance that Roddy and some of the other Steelers may be fleeing Sheffield this year. Naturally, a lot of other teams are interested in the leading team’s players this season. While I understand change and variation are a natural part of this game, I’ll not pretend that it wouldn’t break my heart to see Sarich, Lehman and various other key members depart Sheffield after such a fruitful year. I would, however, take some comfort from knowing that this team, after a magnificent run, got the title they greatly deserved.
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