WASHINGTON — Frankly, I thought Sergei Gonchar had lost his mind, even if he is the last person on earth who could be accused of such a thing.
Two years ago. Stanley Cup playoffs. Maligned Penguins defense shocking the hockey world. I ask Gonchar, the D-man whisperer, to break down each player. He mentions Brian Dumoulin in the same breath as Nicklas Lidstrom.
What?
I consider omitting the quote because I don’t want to make Gonchar look bad. I mean, he’s obviously not saying Dumoulin is Nick Lidstrom. Nobody’s Nick Lidstrom. But I’m not sure that will come across.