Sergeant Slaughter

It was a good day for your Pittsburgh Penguins. The win over the Sharks tonight was huge, but the news the team received earlier in the day might be even bigger. Sergei Gonchar has been cleared to play.

I can't believe it either.

This is the day every Penguin fan has been waiting for, the chance to see if the loss of Gonchar was the main reason behind the Pens season-long funk. It's probably a bit optimistic to think that a man who will be 35 in April will be able to take the ice and be in tip-top hockey shape, but Gonchar at 70% is still better than most of the defensive stiffs in the NHL. Hopefully Sarge's presence on the ice will calm the young Pens and add some spark to a lifeless power play. The time is now.