Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photos Penguins goalie Marc Andre Fleury is knocked into the net by the Capitals' Matt Pettinger last night.

By Dave Molinari
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Someday, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin might give the Penguins a 1-2 center punch without equal in the National Hockey League.

Last night, coach Michel Therrien probably would have settled for having just one of them.

But Crosby was given the night off -- he watched the Penguins' 5-4 overtime loss to Washington from the coaches' box, wearing headsets and passing along observations to the bench -- and Malkin, who is out with a dislocated left shoulder, spent the evening with a handful of teammates in a luxury box.

	The Penguins' Libor Pivko is hooked by the Capitals' Jakub Klepis last night at Mellon Arena. Click photo for larger image.

Washington got the winner when former Penguins winger Matt Bradley beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from inside the left circle at 2:59 of overtime. The Capitals pushed the game beyond regulation on a power-play goal by Jakub Klepis at 18:44 of the third period.

Letting a late lead slip away stripped much of the luster from another strong showing by Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who recorded his second two-goal game in three nights.

"He's had a really solid camp," Therrien said.

The Penguins got their other goals from Connor James and Dominic Moore (short-handed), while Quintin Laing, Matt Pettinger, and Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Washington.

Although the Penguins still have a number of personnel decisions to make before the regular-season opener Oct. 5 against Philadelphia, their major concern at the moment is how long they will be without Malkin.

He will get a second opinion on the extent of the damage to his left shoulder, and likely a decision on whether it should be surgically repaired, next week.

If an operation is not called for, the worst-case scenario heading into the follow-up examination appears to be that Malkin would be out 4-6 weeks; the most optimistic outlook would be for him to return early in -- if not for the start of -- the regular season.

Should surgery be deemed necessary -- and that's something all parties, particularly Malkin, seem intent on avoiding -- he likely would miss at least half of the season, and perhaps a lot more.

Team officials have steadfastly refused to discuss any possible timetable for his return or any personnel adjustments that might be made if Malkin's absence stretches into the regular season. That certainly can't be ruled out at this point, even though Crosby told a conference call yesterday that "they're saying he should be OK, probably, to start the season."

One possibility would be to shift a center with good offensive ability -- Erik Christensen comes immediately to mind -- into Malkin's spot between Ryan Malone and Mark Recchi. Christensen, however, has had an undistinguished camp to date.

First-round draft choice Jordan Staal, who is closer to being NHL-ready than many people anticipated before his first pro camp, also would merit consideration for a temporary spot on the No. 2 line if Malkin isn't available when the real games begin.

The Penguins could use him in as many as nine regular-season games, then return him to his junior team in Peterborough without having 2006-07 count as his first in the NHL for purposes of his contract and eligibility for unrestricted free agency after seven years of service.

Although dislocated shoulders such as the one Malkin has are not a daily occurrence in the NHL, they aren't exactly novelties, either.

Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi had one a few years ago, and watching Malkin in the aftermath of his violent collision with teammate John LeClair in a preseason game in Moncton, New Brunswick inspired a flashback or two.

"The way he skated off the ice [bent over, and with his injured arm dangling] certainly reminded me of the way I went off," Scuderi said.

Scuderi was out of action for about a month -- "Mentally, it's tough to come back and feel the same," he said -- but delayed having an operation, a decision he subsequently regretted.

"I played on it for like three years, which was my mistake," Scuderi said. "I should have just had the surgery."

NOTES -- Fleury allowed five goals on 24 shots. ... The Penguins, 1-1-1 in exhibition play, will face Buffalo tonight in Hamilton, Ontario. ... Defenseman Eric Cairns (ankle) said he still hasn't gotten clearance to begin skating, but hopes to have a target date soon. ... Longtime Penguins head scout Greg Malone attended the game on behalf of the Phoenix Coyotes, who hired him as a pro scout this summer. ... Team officials said 11,018 tickets were in circulation for last night's game, and estimated the actual turnout at around 6,500.